


The One That Got Away

by YurikoNeko (AlaxxisSade)



Series: KKM: Someday We Will Get There [7]
Category: Kyou Kara Maou!
Genre: Angst, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Politics, Secrets, War, basically family oriented, continuity, did anyone notice all the relationship tags are opposite of what i would put, will definitely add more tags, yuuram fic without yuuri for half the thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5697427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlaxxisSade/pseuds/YurikoNeko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things come when you least expect it. A dream at the wrong time, can turn into the greatest nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In His Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't call this the finale, or even the last long one for the series (though I don't have any plans for anything other than oneshots-- YET), but it sure has the feeling of a finale... All your favorites come together, minus Yuuri //shot
> 
> For now, I mean. Minus Yuuri for now.

It’s been two months, and Yuuri isn’t back yet.

                The atmosphere in the castle is still light and cheery, but forcefully so. We can’t be completely certain yet, but something feels wrong.

                The eternal resident of the Shinou Shrine isn't saying anything, either. He may not have the status he had in the country and the hearts of the people before Yuuri came, but he still has his pride and a certain amount of respect from the mazoku. The only person who can force his way into the Shrine is the Sage.

                Sometimes I envy the Sage. He gets to stay by Yuuri’s side all the time, even more so than me, Yuuri’s husband.

                Still, I guess if I had to say who I’d rather have accompany Yuuri back to that world, I wouldn’t think of anyone else… besides myself, of course. And to be honest, even I can’t deal perfectly well in that world yet. That is a world in which a sword does more harm than good, where it would be better to be equipped with a sharp mind and a set of fluid morals.

                The Sage has both.

                Now if only he would bring Yuuri back…

                Shinri is playing with Julie in the garden, and without Yuuri here I once again find myself with nothing better to do than to watch the kids. What is the Prince Consort supposed to do, anyway? The book says I have to support the Maou, and there have been cases of the Consort taking the king’s place temporarily while Their Majesties aren’t around. The only problem is we’re used to Yuuri not being around, so when he’s gone, all his work is quickly and efficiently delegated. There’s no place for a Royal Consort in that roster.

                I massage my temple. I’ve been having this strange feeling lately, that no amount of baths can wash away. Like a huge storm is brewing just over the horizon.

                “Your Highness!”

                Dacascos runs out into the courtyard, and I frown at his expression of unguarded panic. That is no way for an elite soldier to act.

                “Your Highness, the intel from the von Karbelnikoff territories has just reached, and…” He takes a deep breath, the blind fear subsiding into something grim. It’s not any better. “…Lord von Voltaire has called a round-table conference, Your Highness.”

                For some reason, just the mention of the round-table makes me slightly queasy. Maybe it’s the impact behind those words. To call the lords, or their representatives, here at such short notice, means this is without a doubt a matter of national importance.

                “Gurrier, I think it’s time for the kids’ naps.”

                “Yessiree.” The spy steps out from behind the trees, and promptly sweeps the children up into his arms. Julie squeals at the top of her lungs, but I can feel Shinri’s gaze on me, worried. As usual, it’s not a look I like seeing on my two-year-old son, so I flash him a smile that feels more like a grimace, then turn away without looking back.

 

“Conanshia has declared war against us.”

                The entire room falls quiet, so quiet you could hear each quickened breath.

                So the worst has come to be.

                I grip the table in front of me, but force myself to keep my voice level. “Could Yuuri’s prolonged absence be a result of their interference as well?”

                Gwendal frowns. “Now, Wolfram, I know you’re concerned, but--”

                “No, His Highness has a point.” Anissina doesn’t give her husband face, even at a meeting of this level. She’s representing the von Karbelnikoff family once more, not only because she happened to be closer by, but also because Densham evidently has a larger problem on his hands now. Conanshia is a river away from the von Karbelnikoff territories. “Their timing is too good to be a coincidence.”

                “They attack now, while the king is gone—”

                “Who will lead us?”

                “Isn’t it obvious?” Lord von Radford stands up abruptly, slamming his hand onto the table. “As the elite soldiers of Shin Makoku, we shall lead the offense!”

                “Who said anything about an offense?” Günter’s voice is cold. “Are you trying to undo the legacy of peace that His Majesty King Yuuri worked so hard to instill?”

                “Peace? Hah, he’s a pacifist! A coward!”

                “Silence!” Gwendal cuts an imposing figure, towering over everyone else from his seat. “Is this a rebellion, von Radford?”

                “Say what you will, dog!” Lord von Radford’s eyes narrow. “Or are you trying to say that you will take over the reins instead?”

                There’s an obvious commotion at that, and even Gwendal can’t say anything. Already the table is divided: Gwendal and Günter are seen as strong supporters of the king, and even handle his affairs in his absence. I represent von Bielefelt and have some power over von Spitzweg in the absence of a capable leader, but I’m too close to both Gwendal and Yuuri to be impartial. Anissina is married to Gwendal. And though he does not have a territory of his own, Lord Weller’s position is equal to that of the Ten Aristocrats. He’s just standing there, but his presence is undeniable.

                 Lord von Grantz is still staying out of all official business. I throw a glare at the teddy bear in his place.

                Just like that, half of the Ten Aristocrats seem to be on one side, and one has indicated neutrality to everything. Of course the remaining four would band against us.

                “I mean no disrespect to His Majesty,” says von Rochefort. “But he is young, and if any old foxes were to try and take his power while he is away, I believe we have a duty to defend his position.”

                “You are not defending him if you react rashly without his permission,” Günter’s tone is icy now.

                “Who should be the judge of—”

                “Quiet, all of you.”

                I stand up, but I don’t slam the table or even raise my voice. One by one they turn to look at me, some confused, others contemptuous, yet others simply curious. But they’re listening.

                Something catches in my throat, but I force it back down. On the surface, they see nothing.

                “As Prince Consort, I will represent His Majesty Yuuri until his safe return.”

                “But you—”

                I hold up a hand. “In the meanwhile, I will relinquish all claims to the von Bielefeld and von Spitzweg territories. For the von Bielefeld family, I will appoint the previous head, Lord Waltrana, in my place.”

                Although they would expect my uncle to continue siding with me—no, with Gwendal and the others, by relinquishing my hold over von Spitzweg, that territory will be effectively neutral, just like von Grantz. Stoffel will be careful—we mazoku have long lives and thus, long memories. That’s why I represented von Spitzweg previously, in Mother’s place. With this, I trust that slimy old geezer to play his cards properly, so as to not offend either side.

                I turn to Conrart.

                “I am merely His Majesty’s personal guard,” he says calmly, his deep voice and composure infectious. Already everyone is settling back into their seats. “I will not participate in any decision-making, only offer my services to the country if deemed necessary.”

                This way, the power balance is back in place, four Aristocrats on either side. And with the Lion of Luttenberg’s personal promise to fight should the time come, even an upcoming war doesn’t sound so scary anymore.

                Only a few of us know the price Conrad paid for those words. So now it’s my turn.

                “I will listen to all sides and opinions, and make a decision that I believe will best represent my husband.” I stress the last word. “My first loyalty is to him and to the kingdom. Besides, you all know that His Majesty doesn’t always listen to the people you expect him to.”

                I throw Gwendal and Günter a sideways glance, and they’re smart enough to smile a little helplessly. If the others think Yuuri is under their control, they are sorely mistaken.

                The truth is, Yuuri has us all eating out of his hand by now, even if he doesn’t know it. Give it a few more years, and I believe he can win over even his staunchest protestors. I can see young Lord von Wincott wavering already.

                For now, I will hold the fort until he comes back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..Seriously though, don't expect Yuuri for a while. //what the hell was I thinking
> 
> Another thing is, after much deliberation, I've decided to do away with the *s :3 I started it because back then I was under the impression that many people knew the anime and not the novels, so I wanted to show in bits and pieces how wonderful the books are~ Now that the fandom feels alive and dedicated again, I'm basically just dropping references, haha, no need to mark them out, spotting them is part of the fun~
> 
> P.S. After one round of editing... Josak the 'soy'? What is that? XD Does that mean we can finally eat him?


	2. That Man's Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We each have our reasons, but we're in this together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow everyone's Kon-niichan steals the spotlight... Also, continuity! Yay!

I don’t know how Yuuri stands this table.

                Every time someone talks, they spin a little to face me. It’s fine for them, since they only move a short distance at a time, but I have to focus completely on the person addressing me, only to have them spin away immediately when someone else speaks up.

                And then there are these shackles. Of all the ridiculous things Mother’s reign left behind, this rule of chaining down the person in the central seat tops the list for me, even more so than her secret harem of performing musclemen.

                Soon Densham sends over the letter of war declaration the messengers of Conanshia gave them this morning. Previously he had just sent the news over by pigeon mail, but he didn’t survive being the Poison Lady’s brother for two hundred years without picking up some precautions. That’s why he ran the letter through a string of tests before he could afford to send it to the capital.

                As a result, the letter looks decidedly worse for the wear when it reaches here.

                Lord Weller hands it to me with a bow, and I fidget a little at the idea of inheriting Yuuri’s most dedicated guard alongside his duties for the time being. No one will say anything as long as Conrad doesn’t use his position and considerable standing amongst the people to influence court decisions, but I still feel strange having my Little Big Brother act so respectfully to me.

                If he ever calls me ‘Your Highness’, I will tell him to “call me Wolfram.”

                Heh, maybe it’s not too bad to live as Yuuri for a while.

                My fun is quickly cut short, though.

                “Conanshia claims that some of our mazoku attacked and humiliated their royalty, and requests that we hand over the culprits, or else—”

                “Or else?”

                “That’s where it ends.” Günter whips off his reading glasses and says contemptuously, “As expected of those vulgar humans. Resorting to such cheap threats.”

                I frown, as does Gwendal. We both know who the letter is referring to, and before we can figure a way around it, we don’t dare to look at Conrad.

                “It’s me.” Conrad doesn’t even hesitate. Maybe because he’s done more than his share of hesitating. “The one they want is me.”

                It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth. From what I’ve heard, I’m afraid Conanshia want Josak and possibly even Julie more than they want Conrad. Even if he volunteers, he alone won’t appease the humans.

                Gwendal is still frowning, the gears in his brain working so hard you could almost see them steam. Conrad clearly said before that he didn’t expect Conanshia to attack us directly, and he personally staked out the situation there with Josak. That was almost two years ago. This sudden challenge must mean that something has changed in the meantime, but what?

                “Did you really attack them?” asks Lord von Wincott suddenly.

                Conrad looks at Suzanna Julia’s younger brother, his student, the boy who brought them together in the first place. “Yes.”

                Some of the others frown, but Lord von Wincott continues to smile gently. “May I ask why?”

                This time Conrad pauses for a while before replying. “Because they threatened that which I must protect.”

                Most of the Aristocrats start to nod. To them, the one Lord Weller protects is of course his king, so there’s no blaming him. I exchange glances and a tiny, tiny smile with Gwendal. We know that he’s found something else just as important to him, and though now he has more things to protect, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

                “Anyway, I don’t think they will give it a rest even if we do give them the people they want,” Anissina says suddenly, and turns 60 degrees to face me. In spite of myself, I grimace. “Lord Weller, when did this incident happen?”

                “A year and ten months ago.” Because that’s precisely how old Julie is.

                “They waited this long, which means they have evidently done their preparations.” Anissina drums her fingers against the table as she muses. “In fact, I think you could say that they may be using this as an excuse so as not to be seen starting the conflict. After all, the Alliance under His Majesty has been gaining a lot of support. If they had a legitimate reason, they may be able to convince some of our human allies not to help us against them.”

                “They want to make us the bad guys,” Günter scoffs. I wish he wouldn’t speak up so suddenly, though, since the table spins some more, and even faster.

                There is a moment of silence, then Lord von Radford says quietly, “I vote against handing over the Lion of Luttenberg to those lowly humans. He was only doing his duty as a soldier.”

                Soldiers are meant to protect. That has always been the motto of this old warrior, one he hasn’t compromised in the least, even after so many years of peace.

                “If we gave in to them, we would only be showing our weakness.”

                “Why should we give up one of our own just because they say so?”

                One of their own, huh? I see Conrad’s lips curl almost invisibly in jest. He doesn’t tell them that the wanted list includes his half mazoku partner and their daughter, who shows no signs of maryoku. Even the title of ‘Lion of Luttenberg’ is something I know he will gladly do without.

                “Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Gwendal’s words take us all by surprise. Does he really plan to surrender his own brother? “Lord Weller, who instigated the conflict?”

                This time Conrad’s smile becomes genuine. “They did.”

                Gwendal nods sensibly. Although there’s no humor in his expression, I know he’s somehow returning Conrad’s smile. “In that case we have no reason to bow to them, do we? As long as _everyone_ knows you were only acting in self-defense.”

                By everyone, he means the whole world, doesn’t he? I grin.

                There are no more objections, so Lord von Gyllenhaal asks the question on everyone’s minds, “So, are we really going to let them declare war on us?”

                Everyone falls silent, and all eyes turn to me. The sudden attention sends my head spinning, and I curse my own weakness as I hold my head steady.

                What would Yuuri do, if he were here? The answer is obvious.

                “Send them a message. Tomorrow I will head to the von Karbelnikoff lands, and meet with their leader.”

                Although I’m not too sure how effective it actually is, but Yuuri always believes in talking first.

                I promised to act as the king would, and no one has any doubt that’s what Yuuri would do. After so many years, they know at least that much about their Maou.

                “Meeting dismissed.”

                I wait for everyone to leave before making my move. Gwendal and Günter leave without a glance at me, occupied in their own thoughts. Only Anissina seems to suspect something, but she leaves nevertheless.

                As expected, Conrad hasn’t budged an inch from his position behind my seat.

                I take a deep breath, and try to stand.

                The dizziness overcomes me like a wave, and I clap my hand over my mouth.

                “Wolfram?” Conrad notices something amiss immediately. “You’re not feeling well?”

                I swallow down the bile that rose in my throat, my voice hoarse. “Just… a little dizzy from the spinning.”

                “You look even worse than Yuuri did, his first time.” Conrad’s tone is light, but concerned. “Shall I call Gisela?”

                “No,” I say, a little harder than I wanted to. “I mean, I’m fine, really.”

                And right now I can’t show even the slightest hint of weakness.

                So it’s only when I return to my room, where Yuuri’s scent is already fading slowly, that I dash to the bathroom and hurl all the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, I'm not sure... But I think the build-up for this one might be slightly (significantly) longer than the previous ones... I got a basic plot in mind and next thing you know people jump out demanding more screen time xD
> 
> Also, this politicking is gonna go on for a while //I still don't know what was I thinking
> 
> Together with the main plot point, of course~ Anyway, please share with me your thoughts, comments or even criticisms~


	3. In Plain Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While he misses his special one, another two are missing each other-- perhaps deliberately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe we actually got 100 hits by the second day~
> 
> Also, did I mention there seems to be a lot of ConJosa in this one?

The journey to the von Karbelnikoff lands takes half a day on the fastest horses, sprinting full out on the freeways Yuuri suggested we build.

                Conrad insisted on taking a carriage and going slowly.

                “I told you, I’m fine!”

                “This isn’t about you.” Gwendal comes up to us on his horse, his frown even deeper than usual. “We can’t have the king or his stand-in riding halfway across the country on a horse.”

                Even though Yuuri always does that. That’s why, as one of the people who tried the hardest to convince him against it each time, I’d be a hypocrite if I insisted on it now.

                Plus, it’d be nice if I started the trend again, then Yuuri would have to give in once he got back…

               By carriage, at the pace we’re going, it would take one and a half days. Since we agreed to meet in three days’ time, I’m not in that much of a rush yet. As Günter explained, showing up too early would make us seem scared, desperate, or ready to stab them from behind.

                Despite what it looks like on the surface, in some ways, the war has already started.

                “How are you feeling?” Conrad was sitting beside the driver and keeping a lookout, but now that the coast seems clear, he deftly slips in through the window to sit opposite me, squeezing in with the luggage.

                “…A bit carsick.” I can’t get past him when he stares like that. “But it’s nothing! Stop treating me like a baby!”

                “Okay, okay, just checking.” We fall silent for a while until he says, almost to himself, “Never thought I’d see this day again.”

                It’s been about 30 years since the last war. To us mazoku, that’s not a long time, but someone like Yuuri probably can’t imagine it. It’s funny, too, how time seems to slow down when we’re around him. 30 years is by no means long to us, yet the past three years feel longer.

                “Don’t worry, Conanshia is nothing compared to Shimaron.” Say what you want about him, but that brat Saralegui won’t be pulled into other people’s messes. With his growing influence, even Dai Shimaron has started to watch their step around him. Conanshia won’t be getting a lot of help from that side.

                “Yeah. It’s just… It feels as though so much has changed since then.”

                I grin. “Missing Julie already?”

                His smile is exasperated but fond. “All the time.”

                “Don’t worry, she’ll be there when you get back.”

                “Yeah. Josak will take good care of her.”

                “Y-yeah.” My eyes drift to the guard marching beside the carriage. “Did he say where he was taking her?”

                “Hmm? He mentioned something about his doctor friend in town.”

                “Right.” I cough. “Shinri should be safe in the castle, most of our manpower is still concentrated there. I’m just glad that Greta is traveling, away from all—”

                “Wait.” Conrad holds up a hand to silence me, pressing his ear to my luggage. When he speaks again, it’s in a whisper. “Wolf, what did you pack in here?”

                “Huh? Some clothes—”

                “Then it shouldn’t be so heavy.”

                He flicks open the lock and the luggage bursts open. Both of us stare blankly at the little toddler that tumbles out.

                “…Like father, like son.”

                “Oh, shut up.” Although come to think of it, this way the whole family has a history of stowing away now. “Shinri, explain yourself.”

                My son looks a little worse for the wear, flat in some places and ruffled in others, as though… well, as though he was stuffed in a suitcase. First he tries to smile as adorably as possible, but when neither of us melt, his eyes start to droop and redden, and he begins to sniffle,

                “Everyone’s gone away… First Greta-neechan, then Papa, now Mama wants to leave too, and Uncle Josak sent Julie away…”

                “Wait, you say he sent Julie away?” Conrad interrupts. “You mean they went into hiding together, right? The enemy is looking for them!”

                Shinri tilts his head, the perfect picture of innocent confusion. “Really? But Uncle Josak gave Julie to that auntie in town, and went off on his own…”

                “ _Josak Gurrier!”_

I glance out the window. The guard is gone.

                While Conrad is pulling his hair out and yelling into thin air, I take my son onto my lap and look him in the eye.

                “Don’t try to change the subject, young man. What were you thinking? You know this is dangerous.”

                Most two-year-olds wouldn’t even begin to comprehend what war meant, but I have confidence in my kids.

                “It’s dangerous for Mama, too.” He leans into my chest, whispering, “And I know you’re not feeling well.”

                Conrad has been saying the same thing, but I can’t lie to my son like I do to my overprotective big brother. Besides, there’s something about Shinri’s tone when he said it, something about his expression… It feels like he knows something even I don’t.

                I sigh. “Even if I send you back, you’re just going to find a way to come out again, aren’t you?” No one in the castle can hold him down, not with his parents and older sister gone.

                He just giggles and bumps my chin with the top of his head, inviting me to ruffle his hair. After all, he knows that even if he messes up his little ponytail, I’ll be the one to tie it again for him.

 

As expected, by the time we reach the von Karbelnikoff lands, everyone knows the story behind Lord Conrart Weller’s attack on Prince Ian of Conanshia. Mainly that Lord Weller had chased his fiancé all the way to Conanshia only find that the pervert prince was trying to hit on his beautiful fiancé, Josak Gurrier, and even held their newborn daughter hostage.

                I’ve never seen Conrad so outraged.

                “That Josak—what was he thinking!? After everything I did to keep the attention off of him and Julie!”

                “Yeah, honestly, I kinda see where he’s going with it.” I raise my spoon instinctively to feed Shinri, who recently decided he liked getting spoonfed despite being completely capable of feeding himself, only to realize that he’s not here.

                Of course, we agreed that he should be disguised as a kitchen boy while here. He’s probably coaxing the chefs into giving him the best bits of everything by now.

                Conrad stops pacing around the dining room to glare at my plate. “You’re not eating much, are you?”

                “You haven’t eaten anything at all,” I retort, jabbing a knife at his dinner. “Relax, Gurrier knows what he’s doing. He didn’t tell everyone Julie’s name, did he?”

                “No, but he said his own.” There’s a hint of something akin to fear on Conrad’s face. “Do you understand, Wolf? He’s a spy, and he let the whole world know his name.”

                “Shouldn’t you be happy?”

                “What is there to be happy about!?”

                I sigh. This brother of mine can be so dense sometimes. “Basically, he just told the world that he’s fighting beside you.”

                I understand where he’s coming from. If Yuuri tried to hide me behind his back like that, I’d jump out in the loudest possible way, too. “He’s probably mad at you, you know. Imagine how you would feel if your positions were reversed.”

                One second is all it takes, and all the blood drains out of Conrad’s face.

                I pat him on the back. “At least you had good intentions.”

                While he’s distracted, I quickly put down my napkin and dart out of the dining hall before he can remember to make me finish my food. What can I do, I’m really not hungry.

                 The guard outside the door follows me pace for pace back to my room.

                “Any word?”

                “Nothing so far. Lord von Karbelnikoff Densham is on full alert, though, and Anissina-chan is taking out all her scariest machines…”

                “If you don’t want to blow your cover, don’t call her Anissina-chan.”

                Josak chuckles, his voice muffled inside that helmet. “Right now it’s just you and me, Highness.”

                I look him up and down with a critical eye. “Not one of your best disguises.”

                “Bigger ain’t always better. Don’t you know what they say, the best place to hide a bone is in a herd of kotsuhizoku.”

                “I still can’t believe Conrad didn’t recognize you.”

                “Captain can’t recognize what he doesn’t see. Trust me, I know his blind spots better than anyone. After all, I’m the one who guards them.”

                “Hmph. You do realize you’re doing exactly what he did, right? You’re throwing Julie behind for the country. I never thought you were this patriotic.”

                “I’m not. This is all~ for my daughter’s future. I just happen to think that Shin Makoku as it is would be the best place to raise her, so it’d be kinda bad if it got destroyed, y’know? See, aren’t I such a loving mother?”

                His voice genuinely says ‘Praise me!’

                He escorts me back to my room, bowing with a flourish before leaving me. At this rate everyone in the castle will know who he is except Conrad.

                What a troublesome couple. Standing in the middle of the darkness, in a large room in a castle I barely know, in a land far away from our room in Blood Pledge Castle, I suddenly miss Yuuri. By now we’re almost sure the enemy has something to do with his prolonged absence. No one can hurt him there, I know, and even if they try, my husband isn’t as weak as they or he thinks. He’ll come back to my side, it’s just a matter of time.

                But I miss him, so much it hurts.

                It really hurts. My head feels heavy again, but as I stagger to the bed I realize that that’s not where the pain’s really coming from. My hand wanders down, past my heart, to—

                “Mama?”

                The door opens a bit, and a sliver of light slips in, together with a tiny figure. He pounces into my arms, but the impact I’m bracing for doesn’t come. Instead, something soft and soothing spreads from my embrace throughout my body, wiping the pain away without a trace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still building up~ But I like these little interactions, which I never plan out ahead. If the scene fits, they just saunter in and take over the show. 
> 
> And by they I mean Josak. Always Josak.
> 
> Also, this time I tried to keep the geography accurate by staring at the map, but the travel times are probably all over the place, so please bear with me~ As always, I hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing from you!


	4. Raise Your Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you have to make a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More politicking~ Conanshia and the most annoying OC I have ever made are becoming rather main, so I hope the new novels don't joss this entire story to Mars and back~

“Wolfram! Are you in there?”

                Huh…? I rub my eyes and sit up in bed, but before I can get to my feet, the door flies open with a bang, even crashing into the walls on both sides.

                I’m wide awake after that.

                “Wo—Ah, there you are.” Anissina’s pose leaves me in no doubt who the culprit behind the crumbling doors is. “Didn’t you hear us calling you?”

                The truth is no, I didn’t.

                “Mama…?” Shinri is rubbing his eyes, too, and Anissina softens visibly, looking at him.

                “Anyway, you should get ready. The representatives from Conanshia will be here in an hour.”

                “An… What time is it!?”

                Anissina makes a big show of looking out the window. “Almost noon, I’d say.”

                I jump out of bed, resisting the urge to curse in front of my son. After a night of cuddling, my body does feel a lot better, though.

                As I’m about to dash for the washroom to clean myself up, Shinri grabs my hand.

                “Later, Shinri, I have to—”

                “Be careful.”

                For a second I don’t react. I almost don’t recognize his voice.

                Then I turn around and he’s looking at me with my eyes, wide and pleading. If I learned how to do that, I bet Yuuri will never deny me anything ever again. “Mama, promise me you’ll take care of yourself, please?”

                I flick his forehead. “Who’s the adult here? Don’t worry so much, or you’ll grow old fast, just like your Uncle Gwendal.”

                At the door, someone clears his throat. Anissina promptly bursts out laughing.

                Still, Shinri doesn’t let go of my hand until I promise.

                Is it just me, or does he look older already? His face looks oddly pale and tired, even though he just woke up. I frown and put my hand to his head. His body temperature tends to fluctuate, so I can never tell if he has a fever until I burn my hand touching him. Now he feels slightly cold to the touch, like lukewarm marble. “Are you feeling okay?”

                He rolls his eyes at me. My two-year-old son, rolls his eyes at me. “Promise me, Mama.”

                If he can show me this kind of attitude, he should be okay. I huff, “As long as you promise me, too.”

                We pinky swear on it before the kind guard outside escorts him to the kitchens. From the way he easily picks up the man’s hand, and how both Gwendal and Anissina look away, I confirm my suspicions from last night.

 

I’ve never gotten dressed and eaten my breakfast so quickly. Since I barely had any dinner last night, I finish everything in my plate within minutes, until Gwendal has to remind me that we are supposed to hold a tea break and a banquet tonight, in honor of our ‘guests’.

                Yuuri also believes in winning someone’s heart through their stomachs, though I can see reluctance on some of our soldiers’ faces. This feels too much like pandering to them, and yet I know they are about as eager to start a new war as I am.

                Peace is such a fragile yet addicting thing.

                We are supposed to meet at one. The emissaries don’t arrive until three.

                “Welcome to Shin Makoku.” I greet Prince Ian with a smile I pray does not look forced.

                “Ah, yes, sorry we’re late.” He pretends not to see my extended hand, but his smile is impeccable. “We got distracted by the beautiful scenery here. As expected of the state with the best tourism in Shin Makoku, eh?”

                “That is all thanks to Lord von Karbelnikoff,” I gesture graciously at Densham, who accepts the compliment with a nod, “for taking such good care of the natural beauty here.”

                “Shame then, that I hear rumors of your people carrying out tests for weapons of mass destruction on such pretty lands.”

                I nearly choke on my saliva, and Ian looks smug, as though he scored one for taking me off-guard.

                “You understand that we have every reason to be concerned—”

                “Weapons of mass destruction?” Anissina snorts through her nose. “Those are products designed to convenience all and save time, you short-sighted—”

                Gwendal quickly claps a hand over her mouth.

                “A-anyway,” I cough, “You can be rest assured that we perform no such tests here. That has always been His Majesty Yuuri’s principle, and he even came up with the pact signed by many countries to forever ban biological weapons.”

                Although we never experienced the terror of those noo-klear weapons Yuuri talks about, we know perfectly well the consequences of power that destroys everything in its path—we had four such items for over four thousand years.

                Come to think of it, no wonder Yuuri is slightly intimidated by the number four.

                “Hmph.” Ian does not look convinced, and neither does the entire platoon behind him. Silently I grit my teeth. Yuuri never brought any more than a small team on his trips overseas. This guy is obviously overcompensating for something.

                As though reading my thoughts, Ian glances at Conrad, standing beside me emotionlessly, and deliberately takes another step towards his soldiers.

                Anissina is about to explode, and after tightening his grip over her mouth, Gwendal clears his throat. “Shall we proceed to tea, then?”

                Yuuri would never miss a meal, even if he had to keep people waiting. A good diet, plenty of sleep, healthy lifestyle—that guy is going to live forever.

                The kitchen staff at the von Karbelnikoff castle do a good job of keeping the food warm and fresh when it comes out, but then again Densham is never one to mistreat himself, all the while counting pennies. It’s a talent, one useful enough for everyone else to turn a blind eye to his idiosyncrasies.

                I can’t help but wonder, though, if this is yesterday’s cake just perfectly re-heated. Nothing goes to waste here.

                “These are made with premium eggs,” Densham is humbly boasting. From all the hens in Minchey the I-Can’t-Bother-to-Remember-What-Number’s harem. “The yolks and the whites are separated carefully by hand, and the meringue beaten with my sister’s own invention, the hand-held windmill—”

                “It has a name, y’know! It’s called ‘Mr Faster, Faster and Harder’!”

                I hold my forehead. On the other hand, Prince Ian looks fascinated.

                “Really? How does it work?”

              “Hmph, you do have some sense, after all.” Anissina muses for a second. “I think there’s no harm, shall I show you?”

                I hold my breath. Calm down, calm down. What would Yuuri do?

                Yuuri would be ecstatic that our… rivals, he wouldn’t call them enemies yet, he would be genuinely happy that these humans are showing an interest in our affairs. Knowing each other is the first step to understanding each other, he says.

                Günter would say, in his days as an army school instructor, that understanding the enemy is the first step to defeating the enemy. Although he doesn’t have a single scar on his body, he’s still a well-respected teacher.

                So I follow them into the kitchen, then to the labs, where Anissina does an extensive tour until it is time for dinner.

                “Is this okay?” I hiss at Gwendal while Ian is occupied by the Poison Lady’s demonstrations. All else aside, the Queen’s Inventions are a possible source of power for us.

                “Even if he copies the designs, none of these work without maryoku.” That’s what Gwendal says, but I can obviously see the vein throbbing in his temple. “Besides, have some faith in Anissina. The things she’s showing him are barely more than toys.”

                I stare at the paint gun that nearly takes off a soldier’s head, and my face begins to twitch. Still, Gwendal should know. Their experiments continued with even more fervor half a year after Vincent was born, after all. It seems that in that year’s break, Anissina had come up with even more creative and dangerous ideas, just waiting for a first-class guinea pig.

                At dinner, Anissina is as energetic as she was when she started, while Gwendal already looks mentally exhausted.

                “A toast!” Ian cries, raising his glass. “To the gracious hosts!”

                What are we here for again? After a few glasses I’m already starting to forget. It can’t be because of the alcohol, I’m used to spending nights out socializing with other aristocratic boys. And yet I feel my headache coming back again, declining the waiter who tries to refill my glass.

                I… shouldn’t drink so much.

                “Prince Ian,” I can’t bring myself to call him ‘Your Highness’, “Now that we’re all full and content, shouldn’t we talk about the reason we’re here?”

                Once upon a time, Yuuri would have wanted to avoid the serious business as long as possible. But even back then he faced it eventually, and when he did, he doesn’t waste any time on pleasantries.

                “Aww, must we?” The forty-year-old Ian is now acting like Yuuri when he was sixteen. No, even Yuuri was never this wimpy. “I’d rather not talk about the ugly bits now, when the atmosphere is getting so good.”

                His gaze sharpens suddenly, as though all that alcohol had no effect on him whatsoever, and he looks at Conrad.

                “Let’s toast!” Gwendal bellows, just in time. “To… To… a pleasant day!”

                A useless day. But Prince Ian beams, and looks at me enquiringly, as though wondering why my glass is empty.

                I shouldn’t… I call the waiter boy back, and down the glass in one go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time tackling something like war though, please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong~ Also, you know that to actually write about a war while Yuuri is on the throne... Well, it'll definitely hurt Yuuri but the main thing is it'll hurt me to hurt Yuuri, so... Don't expect anything toooo climactic, like the battles of Troy x'D


	5. The First Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't always win. If only you didn't have so much to lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come to think of it, there's a considerable amount of politicking in the novels too...

The same thing goes on for three whole days.

                He sleeps in until noon, then takes an hour making up for breakfast at lunch, then he convinces one of us to bring him sightseeing, where he makes a big deal of everything he sees until dinner, and then he drinks until midnight. With every day, I can see Densham grit an entire layer off his teeth, his eyes reddening more with every visit to his wine cellar.

                And every night, after Shinri sneaks back into my room and is fast asleep, I bend over the toilet and throw up all the wine they practically stuff down my throat.

                “I hear you asked for supper again last night, Lord—Your Highness?”

                I force a smile at Densham, who looks about as miserable as I feel. Feeding an entire platoon for three days is not easy, especially when they look like they’re here to eat us out of house and home.

                “Just a little something to keep me through the night.” Because most times I throw up my dinner as well.

                “It’s not good to eat so much,” Conrad says once Densham leaves in a huff. These past few days, the frown has never left Conrad’s brow. He is under the most pressure, Ian holding him at knifepoint whenever we try to change the conversation. Add that to his worry for Yuuri, Josak and Julie, and I have to respect his mental strength. “And why do you look thinner even though you ate so much?”

                “It’s all in your head,” I say stubbornly, resisting the urge to look away and meeting his eyes instead. “Or are you getting more like Mother in your old age?”

                “Your tongue is unforgiving as always.” Conrad smiles for the first time in days. “At least that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.”

                I’m a lot nicer to him than I used to be, and he knows it. “What’s happening here, Conrad? What do they want?”

                “I don’t know. I—”

                “Wolfram! Conrad!”

                I sigh again. “What’s he trying now, Ani—”

                “He’s gone!” Anissina’s eyes are about as red as her hair now. She looks like she’s going to spit fire. “His soldiers started a fight outside with ours, he must have slipped away in the confusion. No one thought to check because he always sleeps in so late—”

                “What!?” Conrad leaps to his feet. “What about his soldiers?”

                “He left most of them behind.” Her mouth is a grim slash. “Half of them don’t even know what happened.”

                Like puppies waiting in the rain, they don’t even know they’ve been abandoned.

               I can see Conrad wavering. There is a special respect between soldiers, separate from the politics of the ruling class. “What should we do with them, Wolf?”

                “The past three days were a diversion.” Anissina closes her eyes. “While we were distracted, they mobilized most of their troops and set up catapults along their side of the river. Needless to say they will bombard anyone who tries to cross.”

                “Even their own?”

                Anissina finally turns away her head. “They announced it by horn. Any boats we send over may contain spies, so yes, even their own.”

                “How are the soldiers taking it?” My voice is shaking with fury. For them to treat their own like this, the soldiers who give their lives for the country—

                “Some got the memo to cause as much destruction as possible. Those we detained. Others are resigned and willing to surrender peacefully. And then there are those… who don’t believe that they’ve been left behind.”

                Those won’t believe anything we say. Once our backs are turned, they will most likely try to cross on their own.

                “Do we send them back?” Conrad asks quietly, even though he knows the answer.

                “If we do that, we’ll be no different from Saralegui when he deported the shinzoku back to Seisakoku.”

              “That was against their wills,” Anissina snorts. “If they want to go back, I say we give them an oar and see them off.”

                If we send them back somewhere we know they’re not welcome… It will be just like the mistake Yuuri committed with Jason and Freddy. I promised to do what Yuuri would…

                I close my eyes. “Give them food and shelter. Those who surrender, offer them simple jobs around the castle. Those who fight back, lock them up, but don’t mistreat them.”

                As expected, there’s a riot when my decree gets out. There always is, with Yuuri’s decisions, so I must be doing something right. But some people already think that he’s far too kind for his own good. The same people may have hoped for something different with me in charge, but now they’ll be disappointed.

                The pressure gets worse when our people in Conanshia confirm by pigeon that Ian has shared all the details he learned over here. Apparently they’re having a right old laugh about how they got the mazoku to feed them for three days.

                “They’re goading us, we mustn’t fall for it,” Gwendal says, even though he looks like he wants nothing more than to swim over there and kill them himself. “We have an advantage here, so they want us to challenge them on their home ground. We should keep calm, and continue unfazed.”

                Even so, we have obviously suffered the first defeat. Under my leadership.

                “It’s not your fault,” Conrad is saying. Now, why does that sound familiar? “All of us fell for it. And that’s what Yuuri would have done.”

                Yes, that’s what Yuuri would have done. If Yuuri were here, the outcome would be exactly the same. But the more I say it, the more I feel like I’m using Yuuri as an excuse.

                It’s what Yuuri would have done, but I’m not Yuuri. I’m not as convinced in these modern ideas as Yuuri is, that’s why I didn’t insist on stopping the soldiers who wanted to sail back. I can do these things Yuuri would do, but I don’t have Yuuri’s optimism, or endless determination.

                I have faith in Yuuri, and my understanding of Yuuri. I will support Yuuri’s ideals, not only because he is my husband and the love of my life, but also because he is my king, and I will not do anything that could ever be called rebellion when he’s not around. I have enough confidence in myself to do that much.

                But even Yuuri needs people behind him. And I need him.

                That night, Densham empties out the rest of his wine cellar. It’s unbecoming for an Aristocrat, the head of the von Karbelnikoff lands, to drink to drown his sorrows, but that night, no one can resist. It’s almost as though we’re punishing ourselves with alcohol.

                Before I know it, I’ve finished three glasses in over an hour, and there’s a strange feeling in my stomach.

                No one tries to stop me when I excuse myself, and I stagger back to my room, wondering if it’s too late to try and force the liquor out again. Ahh, it’s no use, all I get is bile and acid.

                So I stumble back to my empty bed. It’s earlier than usual, Shinri isn’t back yet—

 

Next thing I know Shinri is sobbing my name, and there’s a warmth trying to soothe the racking pains in my stomach.

                “Mama is so stupid… How could you…”

                “Shin—” My voice is so hoarse it’s scary, and I only manage one syllable before the pain cuts me off. There’s already a sheen of cold sweat over my brow, not just from the pain, but from the equally terrible fear.

                This pain is familiar, and one I wished I would never feel again.

                “Mama!” His eyes widen when he sees I’m awake, but he doesn’t move his hands from my stomach, and the short-lived joy and relief turns quickly to anger again. I’ve never seen my son so angry at me before. I almost quail under his gaze, now black as his father’s. “You know, don’t you!”

                It’s not a question, but I refuse to answer anyway. His voice begins to tremble, and I can’t stand it anymore. I turn my head away.

                “You know you’re pregnant, and yet you— Didn’t you want a baby girl for so long? Now you got my baby sister inside you, and you…”

                My body gives a great jolt. This is what I didn’t want to admit, and now he’s shoving it right into my face.

                Huh. Looks like Yuuri isn’t the only one who repeats his mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the climax of the first arc? Do you think the development is too slow? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions~
> 
> Also, anyone hating that OC as much as I do yet? Yet his name just keeps showing up...


	6. Baby Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whatever else you are-- you are always, first and foremost, my child.
> 
> And that goes for all of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: technicalities ahead XD

As soon as the symptoms started showing, I could already guess what happened. It is my body, after all, and this isn’t my first time.

                But I never went out of my way to confirm it, even when the signs became so obvious I didn’t need to. I even purposely tried not to think about it, so I wouldn’t have to make a choice. No, that’s not true. Deep in my heart I already made a choice, and it’s the same choice I made when I first found out I was carrying Shinri, then accepted my uncle’s challenge to a duel the next day.

                I chose my country first, and decided that the baby would survive if it was meant to be.

                Not ‘it’. ‘She’. This is the daughter I pleaded so hard with Yuuri for, the baby we tried so hard to get.

                “…I’m a horrible mother, aren’t I?”

                It’s morning, and the pain is but a distant dream. The only proof it ever existed is the little bit of weight that feels more obvious now in my stomach, and Shinri’s ashen face.

                “Are you feeling better?” I wipe Shinri’s forehead. It’s still cool to the touch, but not as terrifyingly icy as it was last night.

                “I should be asking Mama that.” His eyes soften, and I get this sudden feeling that’s exactly how my gaze looks like right now. “And no, you’re not a bad mother. You’re the greatest mother in the world, you just have priorities, that’s all.”

                “Aren’t you a sweet talker?” I press my forehead to his. “Thank you.”

                “There’s no need to—”

                “Now tell me what you did to make you so tired. It’s not normal healing magic, is it?”

                It’s not as though Shinri never defies me, far from it. It’s just that he never defies me when I use this tone.

                “Mama… I’m different.”

                “I know. Like your Papa says, everyone is special.”

                “Not like that.” Shinri cannot meet my eyes, and stares at his hands instead. When he speaks up again, he sounds ancient. “Maryoku is tied to one’s soul. The element one is closest to depends on the soul. I was born with two elements… No, I was made from two elements.”

                His gaze reminds me of Yuuri’s, and especially my own, under the control of the Boxes. But when Yuuri is in that ‘mode’, it’s like he’s a different person. I even mistook him for the enemy once, the person I swore to follow to the ends of the Earth, when he was in that form. That isn’t my Yuuri.

                Now, even though Shinri talks like he’s as old as the world, I still know that he’s the same Shinri.

                “It’s what happened when the blood of two Keys, and the two stronger ones, mixed. Wind and Earth may still accommodate each other, complement each other like the sky and the land, but Water and Fire cannot coexist. When the two clashed—” He jabs a finger at his tiny chest, “—I was created. A fragment from each element melded together to make what you would call my soul.”

                “So what is the maryoku you were using?” I keep my voice level. “Was that a part of your soul?”

                He hesitates, almost looking like a child again. “I—No, not really. It’s not the same as the healing magic Miss Gisela uses, and it’s not the power Papa used that time with me, either. I used fire—it’s like I was borrowing some life from the element of fire.”

                Life… My hand falls to my stomach. He had to give her life.

                “The Box of Fire… Is it like mobilizing the dead?” Inferno on the Tundra, the outlier Box that had the ability to make zombies of corpses and even a living person. We have all suffered too much at the hands of that Box, and even now Saralegui is living on borrowed time. If my daughter has to rely on that, she’d be better off—

                “No!” Shinri seems to read my mind, or at least my darkening expression, and quickly cuts in. “Fire is also a source of life and warmth, like water! It’s like using the power of the sun—it’s okay, Mama, really!”

                “You called me Mama again.” Although I complain a lot, it’s reassuring. “So you don’t have to act like you’re an alien or an impostor or anything.” I rub his hair with all the force I can muster. His head looks like it exploded, and I can’t help but laugh. “No matter what, you’re still my silly son.”

                “You could have said ‘cute’, or ‘darling’.” He pouts as he tries to straighten out his hair, but at least he’s smiling again.

                “You’re still feeling chilly, though.” I rub his cheeks instead, frowning. “Is it a side effect?”

                “Sort of. Fire and water exist in balance in me, only they still can’t mix properly. That’s why my water power turns out like ice, because all the heat is taken out of it.” He blows hot air into his hands. “When I use one power, it runs low and the other takes over for a while. It’s okay, it’ll fade.”

                I gather some heat in my palms and clap them to his cheeks. There’s almost a hissing sound, and his expression instantly melts into putty. He looks ridiculous and adorable at the same time. “I can’t give you my power, can I?”

                He shakes his head.

                “Are there any other side effects? Tell me now, I don’t like surprises.”

                “…I’ll probably live for a long time.”

                I nod. Mazoku lifespans differ vastly, anyway. A Maou like Yuuri would probably live longer, like my mother who has so many grandchildren now and can still be mistaken for Gwen’s girlfriend. Not that I ever planned to let Yuuri outlive me, so now we just have to make sure we’re there for Shinri for as long as we can. “How long?”

                “…About twice the average lifespan.”

                That’s… long. “Heh, maybe one day you can break Ulrike’s record.”

                Shinri makes a face, but I know he’s secretly relieved that I didn’t have a bigger reaction. “I’m not invincible, though. Stab me through the heart, and you can cut that lifespan by as much as you like.”

                “Shinri!”

                I try to pounce at him, but he rolls away, giggling.

                “Careful, Mama, you don’t want to hurt my baby sister!”

                “Don’t use your sister as an excuse!”

                We yell and pretend to chase each other in circles around the bed, but I’m careful not to exert myself, and Shinri isn’t really putting in his all, either. Has he ever played like a real child would?

                I pat my stomach, still flat, lightly. He already has loving parents, a great older sister, and two cousins who adore him. Maybe if he gets another little sister, he’ll really start feeling like a part of this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally explain what I had in mind for Shinri... I think I wasn't really sure even after I finished Part 2, that's why I never explained XD Nee, does this make sense? It will be tested later!
> 
> After this, time skip! Don't say I didn't warn you~


	7. To Hide a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If the cat gets out of the bag, you just have to stuff it back in again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackles at the irony*

After that, Conanshia’s attack sets out in spurts of action followed by days, even weeks of silence.

                “I think this is called ‘gorilla tactics’,” Günter says, flipping through the book Yuuri brought back last time, his reading glasses perched on his nose. Most of his hair is tied into a bun at the back of his head, but a little bit keeps falling down, and he keeps flicking it away like he would an annoying fly. “They’re just attacking the riverside territories now, but they’re infiltrating deeper and deeper. There are reports of sightings in the woods.”

                He snaps the book to a close. “They may even hit the capital, or Blood Pledge Castle itself.”

                I grip my fist so tightly my fingers dig into my palm. “Tell me where the sightings were.”

                “Here, here, and here.” Günter jabs three spots on the map, all on the borders of the coastal territories. "The borders tend to be where security is least concentrated, because the jurisdictions of each territory overlap and interfere with each other. But of course they know that."

               "Very well. In that case, I will--"

                Lord von Christ looks up at me suddenly, his gaze sharp behind his glasses. “Are you going there yourself?”

                “A king shouldn’t sit on the throne and twiddle his thumbs while his people are being threatened.”

                “But you’re not the king,” Günter says quietly, not a hint of malice in his voice. “You look tired, Wolfram.”

                “We all are.” I try to smile back at him confidently. It’s actually not that hard. “Don’t worry, old man, unlike you I’m still young. I run this distance before breakfast.”

                “You do seem to be putting on some weight.” His gaze falls on my stomach, and I subtly shift my stance to hide it. Thankfully he quickly moves on. “Still, you haven’t settled in one place for more than a week since that cursed Conanshia prince pulled that dirty trick on von Karbelnikoff. You’ve been going back and forth between Blood Pledge Castle and the riverside territories the past half a year, are you going to start exploring even the forests and inland territories now?”

                “I need to boost the morale,” I insist. Besides, people are starting to say that the reason these enemies dare to come in small groups, avoiding detection and causing more damage than we expected, is because I’m too soft on the prisoners of war. If I don’t get out there and show the people we’re unfazed, there might be potential danger from the inside as well. And that’s the last thing we need.

                Absent-mindedly I twist the ring on my finger. This is all until Yuuri gets back.

                Shinri is waiting for me outside the door, picking up my hand naturally as I walk past. “Where are we going now?”

                I raise an eyebrow. “You mean, where am _I_ going?”

                “Don’t be silly, Mama. If I don’t come along, who will take care of my little sister?”

                “Shh!” I stop and let the soldier salute me as he passes, only talking again in hushed tones when I’m sure he’s far away. “Idiot, what did I say about mentioning her in public?”

                Shinri pouts. “I still don’t see why you won’t tell anyone about her.”

                “Are you kidding?” I raise my voice in spite of myself. “If Conrad or Gwendal ever found out about her, they’ll lock me up in my room again!”

                “Found out about who?”

                “Uwaa!” I jump three steps back, not forgetting to take Shinri with me. Damn, he’s getting heavy.

                “Your concentration has been lacking, Wolf.” Conrad looks like his usual self, but I can tell he’s still in a rather bad mood. “How can you try to cheat on His Majesty when you’re so unaware of your surroundings?”

                “Why would I cheat on Yuuri!?” My voice rises by an octave without me meaning it to. “Unlike him, I’ve been completely faithful from the day we got engaged!”

                “Are you still harping on that girlfriend the Sage says he had on Earth? Because I asked, and he can’t even remember her name.”

                I asked, too, of course, and he couldn’t pick her out of a line-up with two people. Still! “I’m disgusted to think that you, of all people, are questioning my loyalty.”

                “Then why are you so scared of us finding out about ‘her’?”

                “…I’m not cheating on Yuuri!”

                Conrad stares at me for a while longer, then finally breaks into his classic, kind smile, amusement glinting in his eyes. “True. With your sense of danger the way it is now, you’d get caught in a heartbeat.”

                He never asked who ‘she’ is. As long as I’m safe, and I’m faithful to Yuuri, my brother can respect that I have some secrets. After all, I’m a grown man now.

                Plus, I was talking to my almost three-year-old son. He probably thought I was talking about one of those animals Greta or Yuuri (and I admit, me) keep trying to adopt. As though bearbees and giant cicadas aren’t enough.

                Maybe he thinks Shinri’s old enough to get a pet.

                “What about you and Gurrier? Don’t tell me you’re still mad at him?”

                Conrad’s eyes immediately darken. “There could be an attack on Julie any day now.”

                “There hasn’t been one yet.”

                “That doesn’t mean anything!” As usual when it comes to the ones he loves, Conrad loses his cool quite easily. “Do you know how long I searched for him after we left the von Karbelnikoff lands? I asked everyone! Then I come back and he’s in his house, greeting me with ‘Yo, Captain’, as though he never left!”

                I laugh unapologetically. “Maybe he didn’t?”

                Conrad shoots me a dark look. “Shinri told me himself he did.”

                His nephew quickly dodges behind my legs. Back then he exposed Josak to get Conrad and me off his case, but now it’s backfiring on him. Both of his uncles are after him, so he tries to avoid them both. Conrad’s avoiding Gurrier too—says it’s because he’s still mad at him, when the truth is he knows very well what will happen if he goes to that house in town. His fiancé will act like nothing’s changed, then their daughter will pull his sleeve and ask him with his eyes why he hasn’t visited for so long. And then he’ll lose. Again.

                I don’t think he’s ever won against that mother-daughter combo. Josak was just saying he feels so lonely now, since he never gets any guests.

 

The next day I find myself knocking on his door.

                “Coming~” He looks a little surprised to see me, and quickly gives me a cursory sweep with his sharp blue eyes. I sink even deeper into the ridiculous hat. “Why, Your Highness, you’re horrible at disguising yourself.”

                I cough. “Is the coast clear?”

                The spy tilts his head, then yells into the house, “Julie, you can go play with the baker’s boy!”

                There’s a loud ‘yay!’ from inside, then a pattering of tiny feet towards the back door, which opens with a creak and closes with a slam.

                “That little bastard, I keep telling her to close the door gently.”

                He’s not any gentler with the front door, though.

                “Is it okay to let her out there on her own?” I finally take off the stupid hat and coat. “She’s only two, you know.”

                “‘S fine. Last time the baker’s boy tried to bully her, she beat him into submission with his rolling pin. And no one can say anything because he challenged her to a duel in the middle of the street, and she won it, fair and square. He’s her loyal servant now, but I see the way he looks at her. One day he won’t be satisfied being her servant, and she’ll have to beat him up again.”

                Looks like the girl takes after both her parents.

                Josak’s mind has left his daughter, however, and he stares unabashedly. “Now what the hell happened to you?”

                I cough again.

                “Pardon me if I’m wrong, Highness, but I’m pretty damned sure no matter how much you cough, a cold won’t explain that belly.”

                I deflate a bit. “It wasn’t so obvious yesterday.”

                “You’re kidding. It’s…” He does a quick count. As though the whole kingdom hasn’t been counting meticulously how long Yuuri has been gone. “Seven months?”

                “Closer to eight.” Or at least, that’s what Shinri says.

                Josak finally frowns. “That’s a bit small for eight.”

                I shrug. “Apparently she’s closer to the inside. Until yesterday you could barely see her at all.”

                Then a particularly fierce kick that morning moved her closer to the rest of the world.

                “It’s a girl? Congrats, then. I’ll get Conrad for not telling me, just you wait.”

                I open my mouth to cough again, then realize how stupid that is. “He doesn’t know. No one knows.”

                “No one? Not even the Sergeant? Who’s your doctor, then?”

                “I don’t need a doctor.” I can’t help but feel a little proud. Okay, maybe I don’t have anything to be proud of myself for, but I definitely feel proud of my son. “Shinri is the only one who knows.”

                “So why are you telling me?” Josak folds his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair, wary now.

                “…I need you to help me hide this baby.”

                “You’re crazy.”

                That’s exactly what Shinri said. This time he didn’t refuse to visit his cousin Julie out of fear of Josak’s non-stop teasing. When I left he was still facing the wall resolutely, refusing to even look at me.

                “It’s not so big,” I repeat the exact same thing I said that morning. “I just need something to wrap around it in the day, like a corset—”

                “You want to wear a corset around your pregnant belly?” Josak sounds incredulous, a tone he gets from people a lot more than he uses on others. “Are you trying to suffocate your baby?”

                My heart pricks a little at that, and as a result my voice comes out harsh. “I know what I’m doing.”

                “…What did you find out?”

                I avert my gaze. “Nothing. It’s just a rumor.”

                “What rumor?” Then it occurs to him. “When’s the last time you heard from Greta?”

                “…They say the last stop on her trip was a visit to Svelera, to see Beatrice.”

                Svelera used to be part of Conanshia, having gained independence through a civil war. Conanshia were unfriendly to them as it is, and now that they’ve become an obvious presence in the Alliance, Conanshia will do everything they can to prevent Svelera from crossing over them to help us. They may even attack Svelera and its new queen while we’re occupied here.

                If Greta is in Svelera now…

                “Hard to choose when it’s family on both sides, huh.”

                “They’re both my daughters,” I say quietly. “You would know.”

                It’s a low blow, but Josak never cared much either way. He nods towards the back door, where we can hear Julie ordering the baker’s boy to be her horse. I wonder if she misses Shinri. “You make a good point. Okay, I’ll help.”

                I heave a sigh of relief, then add hurriedly, “Don’t do anything funny with the designs.”

                “Who, me?” laughs the cross-dressing, bar-owning spy who’s good with his fingers. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you something that fits your honey-colored aura perfectly.”

                That’s what I was worried about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing that summary line a lot more than I should have...
> 
> Yuuri will be back before Chapter 10, I promise! Although it's funny how a quick ctrl+F on my Word document shows that his name still shows up more than twice the number of times as anyone else...


	8. All Grown Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere out of sight, you've grown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if the chapter title and summary are misleading... Hmm...

I would rather ride a horse to the von Voltaire territory, but with Shinri tagging along, I have no choice but to accept a simple carriage. Then he makes a big fuss of wanting more cushions, space to lie down in, steadier wheels and all that. No matter what I yell at him, he just keeps making a scene at the stables, until the soldiers gave in to their dormant paternal instincts and persuaded me into taking the carriage.

                Hell, in the end someone even ran to Conrad for help.

                “ _Never_ do that again,” I say through gritted teeth once we’re slowly rocking on our way. “You’re embarrassing yourself and your parents! What if it gets out that the Maou spoils his son!?”

                “I don’t care,” Shinri says stubbornly. It’s so strange how the boy can be so easygoing at times and so obstinate at others. “And it’s not for you or me, it’s for the baby.”

                I fall silent at that, my hand rubbing my stomach. Despite looking like an Emperor’s gold-plated armor, Josak’s harness works like a charm; Conrad even said that I look thinner. It’s soft, and supports my body perfectly, too, but I can’t lie to myself—while it makes me feel sleeker and more mobile, I can sense the baby stiffening up. She doesn’t have enough space.

                “Take it off, please? Just for a while, we still have a long way to go.”

                I insisted on going as fast as we can, and even so the trip will take a whole day. Conrad didn’t follow me this time, staying on to train the troops at the capital. With war possibly looming, they look at him like wolves look at a steak. If they all went for him at once, I wonder if even he will be able to escape. Sadly, it looks like the only person not aiming for or worried about Lord Weller’s chastity is his fiancé.

                Since my Little Big Brother is too occupied with his own troubles to breathe down my neck… Why not?

                I heave a sigh of relief in spite of myself the moment I unclip the harness. The baby moves a little inside me, taking up all the space she needs. I’m still in the third trimester, albeit nearing the end of it, so she doesn’t have a soul or proper consciousness yet. All her movements are purely subconscious, like when she stretches or very occasionally kicks.

                She’s been kicking even less today.

                Shinri plasters his ear to my belly, looking relieved as well. “Phew, she’s perfectly fine. Isn’t that good to hear, Mama?”

                “You can stop trying to make me feel guilty now,” I scoff. “Or don’t you want to save your Greta-neechan?”

                He sticks his little red tongue out at me. “I still don’t think Greta-neechan needs saving. You’re underestimating her, she’s the Trap Lady after all!”

                He idolizes her the same way she looks up at Anissina. It’s quite sweet, actually, and I count my blessings that Greta grew into a fine young woman, who can be kind and firm at all times. Otherwise, my son might have ended up in Gwendal’s footsteps.

                “Mama _will_ tell Greta-neechan, right?”

                His tone does not allow me to say no. I sigh. “Of course, of course. This is her sister, too.” Plus, although I have faith in what Shinri is doing to help me, I’m equally impressed by Greta’s medical skills. She may not have maryoku, but her travels and unique upbringing have led her to discover some ingenious herbs and treatments. Yuuri proudly said she’s revolutionizing medicine for the whole world, humans, mazoku, and even shinzoku alike.

                “Then what about Papa? You’ll tell him once he comes back, right?”

                This time I don’t reply immediately.

                “Mama…” Shinri actually sounds threatening. “You can’t hide this from Papa.”

                I think of Conrad, accusing me of infidelity. If I try to hide this from Yuuri, to him it would be a betrayal of faith worse than actual adultery. Just imagining his face… I can’t do it. “Okay. I’ll tell him as soon as he returns to us.”

                I want to reassure Shinri, but he doesn’t seem to need it. He seems to have even more faith than I do that his father will come back to us.

 

We haven’t seen Vincent in a while, and it shows.

                The tiny boy stumbles immediately into Shinri’s arms. They’re about two years apart, but Vincent looks small for his age and Shinri much older. My son even picks up his cousin and swings him around.

                Watching that mini-Anissina act so shy then laugh so happily… I shudder. It almost feels like a different world, or the end of the world. Wasn’t there a story about the Poison Lady undergoing metamorphosis and being reborn ‘stronger than ever before’?

                “He’s been a bit lonely,” Gwendal sounds gruff, but I know he’s as grateful for Shinri’s presence as he is for mine. “Anissina is still tied up in the von Karbelnikoff—”

                “Papa!” Vincent squeals suddenly, and for some reason Gwendal is slow to react until his son pounces on his legs. “Where’s Papa?”

              I prod his chubby little face as Gwendal hoists him up to my eye level. “Idiot, don’t you recognize your own Papa?”

                “Papa?” My nephew looks at me curiously. “No Papa.” Then he sticks his entire palm into Gwendal’s cheek. “Mama!”

                “Pfft—”

                “I can’t get him to change it, no matter what I do!” Gwendal sounds furious and helpless at the same time. “While you’re here, do something about it!”

                “What, do you see me succeeding? Besides, you _are_ his mother.” That’s what I tell myself when I can’t be bothered to correct Shinri anymore. If I say one word about it, he will double the amount of times he calls me ‘Mama’ that day.

                “It’s different for you and His Majesty.” Gwendal grits his teeth. “The smug look on Anissina’s face whenever he calls her ‘Papa’—”

                “Papa?” Vincent’s voice begins to whine. “Where, Papa?”

                I watch the change in Gwendal’s expression, until he admits, almost to himself,

                “—I miss that look.”

                This is what war does, tear up families. Shinri slips his hand into mine, and I squeeze it. Time to get my family back.

                “What have you heard about Greta?”

                Gwendal’s gaze on me is complicated. “Conrad says you’ve barely rested this past year.”

                “It’s not a year yet.” I refuse to think that Yuuri could be gone a whole year. Who knows how he would take it when he gets back, the clingy wimp that cherishes every moment with everyone. “I want Yuuri to see his daughter when he gets back, Brother.”

                Both his daughters.

                “You’re all grown up, aren’t you?”

                “And you’re old, so get on with it.”

                Gwendal frowns at me. “You’re too impatient. What’s the matter with you?”

                It’s true, I regret the words as soon as I said them. This is the older brother I love and respect, I’ve never been so rude to him. It’s the cursed hormones. “I apologize. I’m just… a little worried.”

                Shinri does his best to distract the only uncle he’s still on decent terms with. Oh, aside from the one on Earth that’s grooming him up to be the next governor of Tokyo, since all of his own children are most likely going to become treasure hunters.

                “…We finally got a letter from Svelera. It was stuffed into a maidmer that swam here.”

                If so, we owe that maidmer a lot. Could it be Conrad’s ex?

                Before my mind can wander anymore, Gwendal’s words bring me back to reality,

                “They have confirmed that Greta is in Svelera.”

                I grip my hands tightly. “Is she okay? Has Conanshia tried to harm her?”

                Gwendal looks troubled. “According to our intel… it seems that she has been appointed General by Beatrice, with the backing of the people. Apparently she is training them up for battle, and setting her famous traps all across the border. By now Svelera has as many prisoners as we do.”

                …As expected of our daughter and Anissina’s half-a-pupil. Even though she didn’t inherit the title of Poison Lady, she seems to have inherited some of the Red Devil’s spirit.

                “Our largest concern is that Svelera might not let her leave after this…”

                I take a deep breath. “Then we should get this over with as soon as possible and bring her back.”

                Greta can’t join us for now. It’s okay, she’s fighting her own battles.

                “Your Excellency! There’s been another attack in the—Uwa, Your Highness!?”

                The least we could do is hold up our side of the burden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, so... no Greta yet :3 She will show up, though, cool as anything, because teenagers can change a lot in three years, hehe.
> 
> Instead, I think there may be someone else you'd like to meet...


	9. Too Little, Too Late?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, of all times... But better late than never, I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if despite cranking the angst up to 11, this story is still too idealistic... Hmm...

“How long have they been cooped up in the forest?” I ask as we ride to the location in the report.

                Gwendal looks grim. His secretary Amblin has already taken both the boys to the castle’s famous daycare center, so our hands are free now to respond to the attack in the city. The reluctance on Shinri’s face when he was pulled away still lingers in my mind, though.

                “At least a month, by our estimate. They seem to know the woods a lot better than that, however. We suspect they might have some help from the… locals.”

                I sigh inwardly. “How is the atmosphere in town?”

                “Not good. The enemy only attacks mazoku farms and shops.”

                Once upon a time, there was no such thing as ‘mazoku’ property, because everything in Shin Makoku belonged to the mazoku. There was the occasional human trader, or laborer, but they always walked with their heads lowered, away from the crowds.

                Ever since Yuuri took the throne, though, our policy has changed. At first it was just the humans from our allied countries that did business here, eventually settled down. We had to admit that humans, with their shorter lives, did have more efficient ways of doing things. We’ve benefited from it. Later, when humans and even shinzoku slowly started to settle down here, the mazoku were confused, but did not protest too much. Our children took too long to grow up, so the extra help was welcome.

                Yuuri was delighted, of course. But somehow the rest of us knew, that one day we would face the danger we are facing now.

                “Has anyone gotten hostile?”

                The corners of Gwendal’s lip twitch. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a smile or a grimace. “It hasn’t escalated into a large scale division between humans and mazoku yet, if that's what you're asking. For now the hostility is just targeted at the ones from Conanshia, and even then no one dares to get violent while my soldiers are patrolling.”

                I’m surprised, and I show it. “The other humans are taking our side?”

                Now I’m sure Gwendal is sort of smiling inside, even if he doesn’t show it on the surface. “See for yourself.”

                There’s a crowd of people surrounding the half-ruined pet shop, forming a barricade to prevent the gorilla fighters inside from escaping. And the reason they don’t just fight their way out, is because everyone forming the front line seems to be human.

                “We won’t let you destroy this place!”

                “Go away, no one wants you!”

                “You give us humans a bad name!”

                The humans are the ones yelling the loudest, while the mazoku just look at each other and then at their human friends with a confusing mix of feelings. But there are a few, some alone, some small families with young children, who stay conspicuously quiet.

                It is these people that the fighters call out to.

                “Alan!” yells one Conanshia soldier, desperate now that he’s spotted Gwendal and me behind the crowd, dismounting from our horses. “Alan, help us!”

                A man in the crowd visibly hesitates. He and his family are just outside the barricade, but already people are turning to look at them. Those people know him, and maybe even trust him. A few are losing their focus, leaving a gap in their defenses.

                “No!” There’s suddenly a childish shout, and a human girl of about five breaks away from Alan and his wife, resolutely plugging the hole that the soldiers are already rushing into. “You burnt down Basel’s shop! You’re bad guys, His Excellency’s soldiers will catch you!”

                If she’s that age… Maybe she’s the first generation of human children to be born here in Shin Makoku.

                Some of the soldiers stop, and the few that insist on trying to push past the little girl meet Alan and his wife instead, as well as the other few migrants from Conanshia, who had obviously stopped hesitating.

                “This is our home now! It’s a better home than Conanshia ever was!”

                “Yeah, and His Excellency Gwendal is so kind to us!”

                “I love the Poison Lady!”

                Gwendal’s subconscious smirk stiffens at that last one.

                “Hmph.” I know I’m grinning too. As expected of Yuuri, his ideas may seem strange at first, but in the long term he’s never wrong. “Good work, everyone, but the civilians should get away now. The cavalry is here!”

                This is the power of Shin Makoku, and it’s not just the mazoku anymore.

                “Who’s that?”

                “It’s His Highness…!”

                “Highness?” One of the soldiers murmurs, a dangerous glint in his eye.

                “Wolfram, watch out!”

                Gwendal and the other Shin Makoku soldiers are already running to me, but the Conanshia soldier, in his desperation to take one of us down with him, is both too fast and too cunning for us to react in time. He kicks aside the little girl and knocks her father out cold with his sword hilt, coming at me with his sword.

                “Tsk!” I reach for my weapon, but my body isn’t as it used to be. The one second I fumble is all it takes for the tip of the soldier’s blade to sink into my stomach.

                Interestingly, it’s in the exact same place Yuuri stabbed me, all those years ago.

 

 

 

 

*

 

As though on cue, the pet shop window explodes. To be precise, the aquarium with a few hairy fish on display explodes.

                Those fish become the first casualties of the day.

                “Whooaa!”

                A figure comes flying out of the debris, leaving large question marks over everyone’s heads. That’s strange, was there anyone else in the shop?

                Evidently there was, because someone else walks a lot more calmly out of the window, his glasses protecting his eyes from any flying glass, and announces in a soft voice that everyone can hear clearly all the same,

                “We’re back.”

                “Wolf!” Yuuri immediately scrambles to his feet, ignoring all the nicks and cuts on his face and hands. The bad feeling he’s been having all month is practically suffocating him now, something has definitely gone wrong. While on the Star Tour he prayed and willed with everything he had, please oh please if I really have the power to control this thing please lead me to where Wolf is—

                And they had come bursting out of an aquarium. There’s seaweed in his hair again, how nostalgic.

                “Yuuri…?”

                Wolfram is on one knee, holding his stomach with one hand and his sword in the other. Blood is trickling over the former, dying his uniform an ugly scarlet. And for some reason, Yuuri spots a glint of gold underneath the torn fabric.

                “Protect His Majesty and His Eminence!” Gwendal bellows, and Yuuri blinks in surprise. It’s as though the human soldiers charging at him like hungry wolves appeared out of nowhere, since until then he only had eyes for Wolfram. He didn’t even notice Gwendal was there.

                “Shibuya, you still have no sense of danger.”

                “That’s not true!” Yuuri protests, holding up his hand. All the water on the ground – as well as a few flapping fish—rise into the air, wrapping the soldiers up in a bubble of liquid that’s surprisingly hard to pop. One of the fish slaps a soldier in the eye, for good measure.

                “W-wow…”

                “As expected of His Majesty…”

                Only then does Yuuri realize he’s making a scene. His people – humans and mazoku alike—are staring at him, wide-eyed and star-struck. It’s the same expression he had when he got to shake Itou Tsutomu’s hand.

                I don’t know how to handle this… He quickly turns to Wolfram for help, and is nearly shocked out of his skin to see Wolfram so pale. “Wolf! Talk to me, Wolf! Don’t die!”

                “Who’s dying?” Wolfram snaps, uncharacteristically harsh, but it only lasts a second. “…Wimp. Welcome back.”

                “I’m home,” Yuuri says instinctively, putting his hand over his husband’s to heal the stomach wound. Thankfully this time they’re in Shin Makoku and not Seisakoku, so Wolfram doesn’t try to stop him.

                The wound isn’t deep, even by Yuuri’s sportsman standards. Just like last time, it seems Wolfram is wearing something that absorbed most of the impact. Could Günter have made him another cursed amulet? But there’s no way Wolf would wear something like that again…

                Wolfram’s face regains a bit of color after the healing, but there’s still a cold sweat on his palms when Yuuri helps him to his feet. “Leave this to Brother. Yuuri… let’s go find Shinri.”

                His voice sounds slightly weak, and there’s almost a tremor to it. Yuuri’s heart thumps heavily. Behind them, Murata Ken looks away.

                “Wolf, how long was I gone?”

                “…Nine months.”

                There seems to be something stuck in Yuuri’s throat. He’s finding it hard to swallow, or even breathe.

                “Yuuri, we have to go to Shinri…” Wolfram is trying to keep calm, but since he’s leaning heavily on his king, a rare sign of weakness, Yuuri can feel his pulse quickening. Likewise, he knows Wolfram can feel the same way his entire body tenses, and says in a softer voice, “He misses you.”

                There’s fear in that voice. Yuuri can hear it clearly now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wondered how much space I should have put before the POV breaker... Hello out there, did anyone think the chapter was over and panic? Anyone at all??
> 
> That would have been an awesome cliffhanger, but I didn't want to add that much padding...
> 
> Anywayy, he's back! And the next chapter is all about him!


	10. Yuuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day away from home is a lifetime too long. A month, or nine... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV change~
> 
> What am I kidding, there are several changes to 3rd person POV, but enjoy this bit of Yuuri's 1st person POV for now~

“Okay, what’s going on?”

                For the first time ever, Wolfram seems to shrink away from my gaze. Shinri is still sobbing his eyes out on the bed, while Wolfram absent-mindedly strokes his hair.

                There’s something about the way they sit there together, side by side, while I’m standing with my hands on my hips, that makes me feel slightly jealous, and unbearably lonely. As though there’s something only they know, and I’m an outsider.

                As I thought, nine months… is way too long, long enough to open a chasm between us that I might never be able to close.

                I don’t understand, how does Murata’s dad stand staying away for business so much? Every day I spend away from my family nearly drives me insane. A month over there felt like a lifetime, and nine months over here…

                Anything could happen in nine months.

                “So what happened?”

                Wolfram was shaking all over by the time I brought him back to the castle, so I took him straight to our room and had someone else summon Shinri. My son has nearly doubled in age since I last saw him, and I almost couldn’t recognize the little rocket that burst through the doors and onto the bed. For a second I thought he was going to pounce onto Wolfram and tried to stop him, but then I saw that he seemed almost scared to touch his Mama. His entire body was trembling when he reached out a hand to touch the tear in Wolf’s clothes, where the wound was already healed.

                Their eyes met, those identical eyes, and something unspoken passed between them. Shinri nods, Wolfram looks instantly relieved, and then my son bursts into tears.

                I’ve never seen him lose control like that, ever. Not since he was born.

                It’s been five minutes now, and I still can’t get a word out of him. His mother isn’t cooperating either.

                “Wolf…” I can’t keep the plea out of my voice anymore. “Wolf, what happened? Why were you so scared? Why is Shinri crying? I don’t know anything anymore, I shouldn’t have been away for so long, I’m sorry but please don’t leave me out of this…”

                “Why are you apologizing for? It’s nothing to do with—I mean, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Wolfram still refuses to look me in the eye. If he’s not angry at me, then why…

                “Mama promised.”

                Shinri speaks up suddenly, and it’s as though the temperature of the room drops to sub twenty. I shiver just for a second, before it passes.

                “Mama promised to tell Papa.”

                Wolfram has frozen, though of course not in the literal sense of the word. I’m starting to think Shinri can do that too, if he wanted to… I mean, of course he can do it, and it feels like right now he wants to.

                Not that I’m complaining, though. I was always bad at playing bad cop, so I turn my widest, most pleading eyes on Wolf. “Tell me?”

                Faced with our father-son combo, Wolfram eventually crumbles. I share a hidden high-five with Shinri; maybe that chasm isn’t insurmountable, after all.

                Meanwhile, Wolfram takes a deep breath, and releases it with a sigh. Instead of telling, he decides to show me, standing up unsteadily and slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

                “Eh? Why are you wearing a corset? Have you gained…”

                My voice is stolen clean away when he takes off the golden armor-like thing. I don’t understand what I’m seeing.

                “Wolf… Are you sick? Do you have cancer?”

                His face, no, his entire body twitches.

                “No, you idiot! I’m pregnant!”

                I knew it… I knew it, but I didn’t want to admit it. Closing my eyes, I take a few moments to push down the blinding pain in my chest, then I put my hands on his shoulders and carefully sit him down on the bed.

                “Okay. It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

                “You’re damn right it isn’t, and what do you mean by—”

                “Now tell me who did this to you.”

                There’s a moment of absolute silence in the room, and possibly in the world. Then Wolfram says in a strangled voice,

                “What are you—”

                I squeeze my eyes tightly closed, breathing through the pain in my chest and the rage in my mind. “Just tell me, I’ll find the guy and with my own two hands I’ll—”

                “You’ll what?” Wolfram stands up abruptly, pushing me off balance. I fall onto my butt only to see him towering over me, jabbing a finger at my face, his own red with anger and embarrassment, “You’re such a moron, and to think I was glad to see you back after so long! What do you mean, who did this to me! You! You did this to—Mmrgh!”

                “Mama!” Shinri sounds like he’s on the verge of tears again, grabbing Wolfram’s arm and helping him back onto the bed. “I told you, no sudden movements! And calm down!”

                “How can I calm down when your Papa is acting so stupid!?”

                He glares at me again, and I barely find my voice. “B-but… You said… Nine months… That doesn’t look like…”

                “She’s just closer to the inside!”

                “Mama, don’t shout—”

                “She? It’s a girl?”

                “Yes, you ball-brained, stupid little—”

                _“Papa and Mama are both stupid!”_ Shinri wails suddenly, and bolts out of the room crying before either of us have time to take our hands away from our ears. _“I give up, uwaaaaaa------!”_

“What is he giving up on?” I ask stupidly.

                “Me, probably,” Wolfram sighs. “If it weren’t for him, I’d have lost the baby a long time ago.”

                “…Wait, so you just took on the enemy while nine months pregnant?”

                “What does it matter, I can move perfectly fine.”

                “Wearing a corset?”

                “It’s more like a harness—”

                “And got stabbed in the stomach?”

                “…the wound wasn’t that deep…”

                _“Wolfram von Bielefeld!”_

He is still mumbling “but you _said_ it wasn’t my fault” when I slam the room door behind me. For good measure, I lock it from the outside and freeze the doorknob, a trick I learned from Shinri.

                At least this way I can make sure he rests until dinnertime. Which reminds me, I have to tell the kitchen staff—

                “Your Majesty!”

                “Call me—”

                “Yuuri!”

                That’s better. I nod at Conrad, crossing my arms in front of my chest to try and look a bit more grown-up. I’m almost a father of three now, after all. I can’t have him treating me like a child all the—

                “You’re finally back. Did you lose weight? You look so skinny, have you been eating well? Are you hungry? I can ask Gwendal to—”

                “I-I’m fine… Ahem, I mean, it’s all in your imagination.” Ah, something got into my eyes. I guess no matter what I can’t be grown-up around my worrywart godfather. “And we can go to the kitchen later, where’s Murata?”

                “Ah, yes.” Conrad catches himself, snapping out of his Daddy mode. It’s coming more and more naturally these days, though I still don’t know how I feel about being talked to like a two-year-old girl sometimes. “His Eminence is discussing matters with Gwendal in the conference room, they were wondering if you and Wolfram could join us.”

                “Wolf is hurt, so I let him rest for a while.” I hurriedly hide the frozen doorknob behind my back. Ow, frostbite! “D-Don’t worry, I can tell him everything we talk about in the meeting.”

                “If you say so. Günter should be on his way here too, he grabbed the first horse here as soon as he heard from Lady Ulrike that Your Majesty has returned. I only got here a little earlier because he had to fight back the soldiers trying to stop him leaving, saying he’s their last hope.”

                Any moment now he’ll come running down a corridor or bursting through a wall or window or jump out of a painting, hair and Gün-juices flying everywhere. It’s like a jump-scare horror game.

                “But they have a point, is it really okay for him to leave Blood Pledge Castle? Who’s in charge of the capital with all of you here?”

                “The clerks can handle the administrative work for a day, and Gurrier’s still there, so he’ll make sure no one stirs up trouble on the streets.”

                “Josak? But I thought I saw him out—”

                “Shibuya!” Without realizing it we had walked to the conference room, and Murata interrupts me loudly. “Come over here, I need to tell you something.”

                “A-ah?” If you can yell so loudly, though, you can just tell me now without going over. “Okay, what is it?”

                “It’s about Conanshia.” His expression is completely serious, but it feels like he’s laughing inside. At what, though, is beyond me. “We think they’re being used by Dai Shimaron.”

                “Ah!?” W-wait, is this supposed to be top secret after all, that’s why you called me over to whisper into my ear? Then why are you still talking slightly louder than usual?

                “They used houjutsu to interrupt with the dimension distance,” Murata says calmly. “I don’t think a small country like Conanshia has the number of houjutsu users or houseki to pull it off, so someone must be helping them from behind.”

                “Even so, couldn’t Dai Shimaron be helping them out of generosity and the kindness of their hearts?”

                Gwendal’s expression is far politer than the look in his eyes. “There’s a limit to how nicely you can think of the enemy, Your Majesty.”

                “Really? I think Shibuya’s optimism is very touching.” Murata’s smile looks a little off to me, and Gwendal doesn’t even look for more than a second, turning away quickly. I think I see his huge back shudder.

                “But Lord von Voltaire is right, I don’t think we can expect the best of our enemy this time. Dai Shimaron’s hands are tied by their size and Saralegui’s schemes. They still represent most of the humans, so even our allies haven’t made complete enemies of them yet. If Dai Shimaron declares war on Shin Makoku, though, those smaller countries will have to make a choice.”

                He exchanges a glance with Gwendal, and the first son seems to relax again, even smiling, though grimly.

                “I think we can say the choice won’t be easy, and the odds are against Dai Shimaron.”

                “No matter how powerful the country, they can’t survive on their own.” Murata’s voice is quiet. “Even Seisakoku, geographically isolated from the world, is now being changed from the inside and out. What’s more Dai Shimaron, with Shou Shimaron so close by, threatening to turn against them.”

                Whatever else you say about him, Saralegui is a good king, with a good grasp over his people’s minds and hearts. As in, he knows how far to push the envelope before the majority turns on him. If he really wanted to join forces with Shin Makoku, even if it’s just on the surface, there won’t be too many people objecting, especially now that the resistance has been practically wiped out.

                “That’s why they’re using Conanshia to get to us,” Murata concludes. “Conanshia is smaller and more mobile, if they had a legitimate reason, it won’t be seen as unfair if they try to attack us. They’re probably getting weapons and training from Berard, too.”

                The weapons that hurt Wolf and threatened our baby… I clench and unclench my fists. It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s safe, both of them are. “In that case, we have to tell them.”

                Conrad frowns. “I think—No, I’m sure they already know that they’re being used.”

                Gwendal nods in agreement. “That prince from Conanshia is not as foolish as he looks.”

                “Then what if we give them a better offer?”

                “Are you saying you want to bribe them? What do we have that they would want?”

                “To be a part of the alliance,” I say quietly. “As equal partners.”

                Gwendal’s frown is so deep I’m surprised it hasn’t yet dug a trench into his skull. “It is true that all the members of the Alliance are equal to begin with, but that’s not what most outsiders think. They still believe we’re holding the strings.”

                “Then let’s show them! Let’s prove to them that we are equals, by treating them with respect, unlike Dai Shimaron does!”

                “Your Majesty, that’s—”

                “Actually, that might work.” Murata looks thoughtful. “They’ve been overshadowed and looked down on by Shimaron for centuries, and after the Civil War, even Svelera has been turning their noses up at them. Equality may be tempting.”

                “Oh, yeah, Svelera…” I start thinking again, how will Svelera take it? We can’t offend one of our strongest allies. Gwendal looks worried too, but for some reason he looks at Conrad instead.

                Conrad, though, looks completely unperturbed, saying cheerfully, “If you’re worried about Svelera, though, you might be interested to hear about their new General…”

                Soon after that the meeting is dismissed, and when Conrad and I go to the kitchen to order some of the food I remember Mom insists is good for pregnancies, Günter ambushes us from the back door, his horse foaming at the mouth and lunging straight for the mountain of apples with Günter still on its back.

                In the middle of what can only be described as an avalanche, I have just a second to be grateful that I didn’t let Wolf come with me after all, before we’re all buried in sweet-smelling fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really can't gauge this story's length... It felt longer than the previous parts in my head, but now it seems like there will be about as many chapters as My Life, My Way, but wayy fewer words... How strange...


	11. Reprieve and Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While one side gets a breather, the other makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T-this is a filler/fluff chapter, right? Right!?

One of the first decrees Yuuri makes after almost a year of absence is that I am hereby on leave, conveniently forgetting to mention for how long.

                “Are you trying to force me into retirement!? I’m not even ninety yet!”

                “N-now, calm down…”

                “You calm down! Go out there and tell them I’ll be back at work in three months!”

                “At least make that a year…”

                “Half a year, max.” I narrow my eyes at him. “You should be glad I’m agreeing to take any time off at all. The only place for a soldier to be during a war is on the battlefield—”

                “Half a year, half a year it is. You know, even Günter agreed when I said you needed a break.”

                “Hmph. The old men worry too much.”

                “By old men, you mean your brothers as well, don’t you…” Yuuri sits down behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face into the back of my head. I breathe in deeply, trying not to seem too obvious about it. This is the scent I’ve missed.

                “Gwendal told me all about how you talked back to him. He sounded almost proud, even though he looked offended. Said something about grown birds ignoring their parents.”

                “…I didn’t mean to say that.” My ears grow red just thinking about it.

                “I know, but he doesn’t.” Yuuri sounds smug. “It’s the hormones, isn’t it? This is the legendary mood swing~”

                “Don’t sound so happy about it!” I snap, and immediately realize how harsh I sounded. “…Sorry, I didn’t mean that either.”

                “Aw, it’s okay, completely okay!” He still sounds so ridiculously pleased, until I have to resist the urge to pinch his waist.

                “It’s okay even if I do or say things mean to you?”

                “Do or say whatever you want, I understand! Pregnant people are always number one, always offer them your seat or anything else when you see ‘em.”

                I sigh. “You spoil me, y’know. You’re a bad influence.”

                I’ve been pregnant for nine months now, and though it wasn’t easy, I never let the mood swings show on the surface. Now he’s been back for less than twenty-four hours, and I’ve yelled at him more times than I can count, even though I’m actually so happy I could cry.

                “W-Wolf? What’s the matter, you look like you’re going to—”

                “Shut up!”

                “Ow!”

                This is going to be a long three months.

*

When Conrad barged into the cottage in town, Julie is standing in a corner while Josak stares listlessly at the strange golden object in his hand. It looks like a cross between armor and a straitjacket.

                “Josak! I heard Julie got into a fight—”

                The spy interrupts him with a wave. “Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t tell her to stand in a corner, she wanted to herself. You go talk to her if you want.”

                Gurrier is distracted, Conrad notes immediately. It’s such a rare thing that he’s instantly torn between his curiosity and concern for both his fiancé and his daughter, but after a second of mental tug-of-war he decides the adult can take care of himself for five minutes.

                “Julie, are you okay? Tell me what happened.”

                Compared to most children, the girl is already exceptionally mature for her age, but Conrad is used to dealing with her older cousin. That’s why, when she just shakes her head stubbornly, eyes all red, and refuses to say a thing, he’s at a loss on how to react.

                “Julie… Julie, talk to me? Talk to Papa?” At least he hopes she will call him Papa.

               She stays silent as a mime, which is in some ways relieving and in other ways, extra worrying. She doesn’t look hurt, though, and she doesn’t resist when he runs her through a brisk soldier’s check. There’s no blood, a few bruises on her arms but nothing that hurts when he touches her—She’s okay. Physically, at least.

                “What happened?” Lord Weller’s mind is still completely on his daughter when he returns to her mother. “Did you scold her?”

                “No, but she thinks I should, so she’s punishing herself.” Gurrier knows exactly who she got this mentality from. “Don’t worry, it’ll be over by dinnertime or when she passes out, whichever comes first.”

                “Does she do this a lot?”

                “Nope, this is the first time.”

                “Then how can you be so sure!?”

                “Because she’s my daughter, and I know her.”

                Conrad doesn’t know how to respond to that, or how to express the painful loneliness that stabs his chest. Josak’s not the only one, everyone seems to understand how his daughter acts and thinks-- everyone except him. They always say she’s just like him, and yet she’s a complete mystery to him, especially now that she’s starting to understand more things, form her own opinions and personality.

                The silence stretches on, until he finally asks,

                “What the hell is that thing?”

                “Oh, this?” Gurrier is still oddly preoccupied with it. “Damaged goods. It was returned to me this morning. See?”

                He holds up the stretchy gold fabric, peeking through the bloodied hole.

                “I-I see. Is the owner…?”

                “He’s fine, apparently. I can’t believe it myself, but if he wasn’t, that person wouldn’t be able to return it to me so energetically.”

                “Energetically?”

                “He nagged me for a full five minutes.”

                The second son doesn’t know if he really wants to dig more into his fiancé’s personal relationships. It feels horrible that they lead almost separate lives, and yet he doesn’t think he wants to know all the details.

                “Hey, Captain? If you had to choose between your country and your family, what would you choose?”

                “Hah? Why would you suddenly…”

                “Just answer it.”

                There’s no ‘please’, but Conrad senses it somewhere in that mild tone anyway. It’s rather shocking.

                “If it comes to that, I would—”

                “And you’re not allowed to sacrifice yourself, or say something like ‘I’ll protect them both with my body’.”

                “……”

                Josak sighs. “Let’s just say, if – just if, I don’t wanna be accused of treason—if you know the country is going to fall, would you run with Julie and me, or would you stay?”

                “…I’ll stay.”

                “Even if she needs you? Even if she grows up thinking you abandoned her, even if it traumatizes her forever?”

                The soldier smiles a smile that’s painful to look at. “I’ll stay back to make sure both of you get away safely.”

                “That’s a lie. Even after we’re safe, you won’t come after us, will you?” Josak isn’t angry. He kind of expected it-- he just doesn’t understand it. “Why are you all so willing to protect this kingdom? And don’t give me crap like this is the home you chose, we both know we had to fight for our place in it.”

                A home that only acknowledged us after we proved our dedication with our lives… Excuse me if I’m not too willing to swear by it.

                “It’s different now! That—the same thing won’t happen again.”

                Ah. So that’s it. “It’s because of the Young Master, isn’t it?”

                “…He’s a responsible young man. The country won’t fall before he does.”

                “He won’t leave, so neither will you.” All of you. Josak glances again at the golden cloth. He’s beginning to get it now. “What is he to you, Captain? Tell me honestly.”

                “Yuuri is my king… and also my family.”

                Kingdom and family, all in one. No wonder he lost. A worthy opponent if ever there was one, but—

                “Does it have anything to do with Julia?”

                Conrad actually takes a second to react. That name is so distant from his life now, like a nightmare from a long time ago.

                “No… No! Of course not!” Suddenly he’s in a panic, grabbing Josak’s shoulders. “Believe me, Gurrier, the only one I love now is you!”

                “That’s not what I meant…” Still, it’s nice to know there’s one part of his heart that I have and the Young Master doesn’t. But even Josak himself barely registers those thoughts.

                “I just thought that it wouldn’t be fair to the Young Master if you even occasionally saw someone else’s shadow when you look at him, after all this time. If you had said yes, I would have had to punish you in his place, because he’s too soft to do it himself.”

               “…He is, isn’t he.” The way he says it makes it obvious he doesn’t think that’s a bad thing, though. “What about you, Gurrier?”

                “Hm?”

                “What would you choose?”

                “I’d choose family, of course.” Home isn’t a place, it’s people. He glances at his Captain, who looks unsurprised at his decision but still can’t hide the tiny disappointment on his face, then at his little daughter in the corner.

                She had beaten up the baker’s boy when he tried to touch her in a place Mama said strangers should never touch. It was instinctive, and one-sided—she broke all of his fingers with the hilt of the ornamental short sword her father gave her for her birthday, and he may never knead dough again. Everyone says she wasn’t wrong to do it, except for Mama—Mama didn’t say anything. That’s how she knows she was wrong, after all.

                She wasn’t wrong to defend herself, but she was wrong to hurt someone who couldn’t fight back.

                So she bows her head and apologizes, then walks off to the corner and accepts her punishment. But even though her eyes are red and her face is pale, her stance is strong and her shoulders squared. She knows it’s wrong and she does regret it, but it was her choice and she will live with it.

                Josak sighs. “I would choose my family, but if my whole family chooses to stay, then I’d have to stay, too, won’t I?”

                And he’ll probably have to fix this thing. That person would probably need it again sometime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make it fluffy, I really did! I think it might have worked... until I put the passage breaker orz Why did that second half get so dark-ish suddenly... But somehow, I find the second part sorta... cute... too? Julie in the corner, Conrad spontaneous confessing, Josak's little jealousy XD I do like those couple dynamics~
> 
> And you maay have noticed I set the ending in 6 more chapters, plus one epilogue. I don't know why this bothers me so much, but this story is slightly more than Your Father's Child in word count, yet closer to My Life, My Way in page count... What does that say about my writing, I wonder...


	12. Storm Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're all together now, but the family doesn't feel complete without you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Return of the dramatic summary...?

The baby hasn’t been moving much recently.

                “Is that normal?” I make the mistake of telling Yuuri about it one day, and his black eyes immediately fill with worry.

                “Josak said it’s fine. It just means that we’re getting close, that’s all.”

                “Josak said… Well, it’s not like I don’t trust Josak or anything, he’s the best spy I ever knew, but when it comes to stuff like this, shouldn’t we ask Gisela or—”

                “It’s fine,” I say firmly, but not as convinced as I was last week. “People have babies all the time, right…”

                I force myself to keep the question out of my voice. The truth is, I’m about as experienced as Gurrier in this case, but neither Yuuri nor I feel like mentioning my experience with Shinri right now. That was a bit closer than we would have liked, and besides, this time is already worlds different from back then.

                What I don’t mention is that Shinri himself is now a main reason for my worry.

                With my encouragement, he already told Yuuri what he told me, about his conception and his existence. As I expected, Yuuri understood little and cared even less than I did. As long as his toddler son didn’t forget him over those hard nine months, Yuuri was content.

                His thought processes are simple, which I count as a blessing. When he’s forced into a corner, he starts overthinking things, and though he does come up with some brilliant things under pressure, I’d really rather not put him under that stress. He shines the brightest when he’s like this, pure and hopeful and driven to fulfill those beautiful dreams he sees. Under that light, Shinri smiled like a child again.

                So now both his parents know. He doesn’t dare tell his godfather yet, though, and we don’t force him. All in good time-- and besides, we all have a feeling Murata already knows.

                We’re happy Shinri talked to us about it, but these days… I feel as though there’s something he’s not telling me.

                “By the way, have you seen Shinri today?”

                “Eh? Didn’t he come to see you?”

                He’s been avoiding me. And whenever he does look at me… There’s something in his gaze that makes me uneasy.

                I shake that feeling away. “Forget it. He’ll show up when his Greta-neechan arrives.”

                At the mention of that name, Yuuri’s face brightens up again, like an overhead lamp.

                Yuuri’s proposal to accept Conanshia into the Alliance was met with mixed reactions. As expected, some people thought it was Shin Makoku bowing to their lowly human neighbors—there was a lot of talk about a lion without its fangs. Some were skeptical, others hopeful. But the ones people expected to be against it the most were in fact the most supportive.

                Svelera were sending their General, the princess of Shin Makoku, to participate in the summit on their behalf. And it seems no one in the country had any objections to it.

                In fact, they were the first to announce their full support—as long as Conanshia agreed to the terms of entry. No hostilities against other members of the Alliance, provision of suitable aid when necessary, and participation in friendly events such as the O-Limping Games every five years, so named because people rarely left the stadium walking straight. Still, it was a lot better than the gladiator rings from the past, and those who left limping tended to be supported by their rivals from the match.

                The ball is in Conanshia’s court now, so to speak.

                It took a month just to get the approval from every member of the Alliance, pigeons working in overdrive. Finally the invitation to a summit was sent to Conanshia last week, and the event to be held in another month’s time. We had to give the members from further away some travel time, after all.

                But Svelera was only a river and a trip across Conanshia away. Word on the street is that the Princess – she will always be known as such in Shin Makoku—will be travelling directly through Conanshia to reach the docks. It’s a show of her sincerity, and at the same time, a test for Conanshia’s.

                Today’s the day she’s supposed to arrive on the shores of the von Karbelnikoff territory, and still Yuuri won’t let me go meet her.

                “It’s the fourth trimester, you’re supposed to be resting!”

                “I’m fine, and I’m going!” I bear down on him. “Nothing’s happening yet, and she’s my daughter too! If you keep me locked up even now, they’ll think I’m too sick to leave the room!”

                “Well, you are…”

                “I am not sick!” I nearly screech. Both of us wince at the volume and pitch, and I try my best to calm down my suddenly pounding heartbeat. Stupid blood pressure. “Yuuri, use your empty—I mean, think about it. If they think I’m weak and defenseless, what do you think they’ll try to do?”

                “But you _are_ …”

                “Okay, so maybe I can’t fight right now.” It’s the truth, so I should at least give him that point. “But the enemy doesn’t need to know that, do they?”

                “I-I guess…” Yuuri takes a deep breath. “But Greta has to know. You’ll tell Greta once you see her, right, Wolf?”

                It’s almost exactly the same thing Shinri asked me. I sigh. They really are father and son. “Of course, of course. Greta is family, too.”

                I thought I would have at least a day to plan out how I was going to break the news to her. Two seconds later, she saves me the trouble by bursting through the door and practically freezing in her tracks, her expression of ecstasy turning to stone in shock.

 

Turns out Conanshia let her through without any trouble at all, saving her almost a day in travel time. She decided to use that extra day to surprise us.

                In the end, she was the one to receive the biggest surprise.

                I can only be thankful that no one else followed her into the room. They thought we would appreciate some family time, and boy, were they right.

                “I still don’t understand why you won’t tell anyone.” Greta is still nagging two hours later, as she prepares a strange-smelling tea and even stranger-looking ointment. Her red-brown hair curls over her shoulders, the tiny braid at the back of her head keeping most of it out of her face. She looks clean and feminine, but at the same time quietly confident, exuding the combined aura of a kind healer and a stern leader, without any of the Sergeant’s sudden harshness.

                Right now, though, she’s just a long-winded young woman lecturing her irresponsible parents… or parent, since Yuuri escaped a few minutes ago to look for Shinri.

                “I’m no expert in mazoku pregnancies,” she says again, even though she’s delivered at least a dozen mazoku children, and a lot more human babies than she can count. “This tea is good for fetal development, and this ointment makes your skin more elastic so you can apply it to your stomach or… well, you know, to make delivery easier.”

                It seems that family is different from normal patients to her, after all. I smile as she clears her throat and shakes the blush from her face.

                “But seriously, you should get an expert opinion. Why are you trying to hide it, anyway?” Greta frowns, now pressing my belly carefully to feel for the baby. “Hmm, at least her position is all right. Even if you don’t want the enemy to know, don’t tell me you don’t trust Conrad and Gwen to keep the secret.”

                I avoid her gaze. “If they knew, they won’t let me participate in anything.”

                “Really? As long as you’re in good shape, I don’t see why they would try to stop you helping in a way you can. They, of all people, would know how much you want to help the country. And besides, Conanshia has agreed to a temporary ceasefire until the summit. There’s no danger.”

                “I know, but… Just in case.”

                It’s not that I don’t trust my brothers. Now that the active fighting has died down, I know that if I ask Gwendal, he would be able to find me a safe, passive job like handling the documents. I wouldn’t mind that, really, anything as long as I can help free their hands and make their burdens lighter.

                As long as I can fight beside Yuuri, in my own way.

                But somehow… Somehow I can’t bring myself to tell them. I don’t know how to name this feeling weighing down my chest, getting heavier with every day as this child grows inside of me. If I had to try, I would call it… fear. No, foreboding. Like a storm is brewing in the distance, and I know it, I know that there’s nothing I can do about it, but I don’t know when it will hit, or how.

                All I know is, I don’t want to tell them yet. I don’t want them to know, yet.

                “They _will_ know, eventually.”

                “Eventually,” I hang on to that word, the promise of a future. Speaking of which, “Greta, isn’t your sixteenth birthday next week?”

                That was the other reason she had to come back so quickly. Our daughter is coming of age.

                “Have you decided?” When Conrad and Gurrier turned sixteen, they chose to live as mazoku. When I turned sixteen, I officially joined my father’s clan, instead of my mother’s.

                Yuuri and I raised Greta to embrace both her human and mazoku identities, all for that day when she will choose. Will she stay here, with us, or join Beatrice in Svelera?

                “Wolf… I have decided. I will keep on travelling the world.”

                When she says that, her eyes seem to shine, and she seems to see something, somewhere beyond me. By now she probably knows more about the rest of the world than I do, accomplished more than I have. She wasn’t elected General of Svelera just because she’s Beatrice’s friend, but because of how she changed their lives over there, with her medicine and her training regimes. She saved them and then taught them how to save themselves.

                We would be selfish if we tried to keep her here, away from the world that needs her so badly. My little girl, she can save the world.

                “…But whenever I get tired, Shin Makoku will always be my home.” She puts her arms around my neck, a young lady now, and gently kisses my cheek. “I will always come home to Papa and Daddy, and my little siblings.”

                “You promised, so you can’t go back on that now. If you don’t come see us at least once every couple years, I’ll sic your Papa on you. You know he’ll track you to the ends of the world and back.”

                “Ehh~ That’s no fair~”

                Time sure passes quickly. I sigh, feeling like an old geezer with an empty nest. But no, it’s okay, at least I still have Shinri, and…

                I caress my stomach quietly. If time passes so quickly, then it’ll be no time at all until I have this daughter safely in my arms. And yet, why do I feel… Why do I feel as though that day will never come?

                “Greta-neechan!”

                When Shinri bursts through the doors and pounces into his older sister’s arms, burying his face in her shoulder and almost trembling, that heavy feeling gets even heavier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update, and Gretaaaaa~! I love her, seriously, and I can just imagine her growing up into this beautiful, kind, brave, responsible, independent young woman... who will always love her fathers, of course xD


	13. Before It Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't say anything, because I don't want to worry him. I don't yell out, because I don't want to distract him at the most crucial moment.
> 
> If I had said something, would things have turned out differently?
> 
> Maybe, by not saying anything, I hurt him worse than any enemy could. And it's a wound that will not heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely the return of the dramatic summary. Also, the summary might make more sense after reading the chapter... If it hasn't already given everything away, lol.

A week later, the princess of Shin Makoku has her coming-of-age ceremony, a quiet affair with only family and close friends in attendance. After all, now is not the time to remind everyone of her relationship with us, and the country.

                After much discussion, Yuuri and I agree to do away with Mother’s koi-fish dress. Our daughter had her pride, and we both felt she was too pretty for it.

                She vows, softly but firmly, to take Shin Makoku as her home for as long as she lived, to honor us as her parents. But at the same time, she chooses not to live as a mazoku: she will not join my clan, and neither will she be Yuuri’s heir. She will love us as a common child loves her parents, but she will also be her own woman.

                For some reason, the kids wouldn’t stop crying throughout the ceremony. Even Shinri’s eyes were a little red. It was starting to sound like we’re marrying her off to a faraway country, and Julie wailed that Greta-neechan was leaving them, forever. It takes us all day to calm them down.

                By the end of that day, I’m exhausted.

                “Are you okay?” Yuuri asks worriedly, massaging my shoulders and back with his healing magic. I’m not even sure if he’s doing it consciously, or his hands just glow without him knowing it.

                “Just tired.” And a bit dizzy…

                The next few weeks pass in a tired daze. It’s as though my body grew a few years older and a lot heavier in that one day, even though my bump is still subtle enough to hide with a coat and cloak.

                The summit is soon only two days away, and my due date a week after that. And still there’s no sign of this baby’s soul.

                “Are you sure?” Yuuri tries to be optimistic. “Maybe this tired spell you’re having is a sign that your body is balancing two souls now?”

                I shake my head. “It’s getting ready to accommodate two, but… not yet. There’s nothing yet.”

                I can’t feel anything from my baby. It’s not like when I had Shinri, when I felt as though I knew his thoughts, was talking to him through my stomach. In fact, if he hadn’t said so earlier, I wouldn’t know even now that the one inside me is a girl.

                I asked Josak, and even Gwen, though not too obviously. Both of them agreed that somewhere in the fourth trimester, they had begun to feel the baby’s presence properly, as a different individual, slowly taking shape inside them.

                “It’s nothing to worry about,” Gurrier says more than once. “A lot of times the soul only comes just before delivery. No need to panic yet, it’s completely normal.”

                But Shinri was nowhere near normal, and it’s hard to believe that this child could be, either.

                “I’ll be back before you know it.” On the morning before the summit, Yuuri kisses me on the forehead, all dressed to leave. “Take care of yourself and the baby while I’m gone, won’t you?”

                I don’t reply, my eyes still tightly closed. He sighs, probably wishing I would kick him in my sleep like I used to, and then the door creaks open, closes gently. He’s gone.

                My eyes fly open, my breathing rough. I kept still as a log all night, so as not to worry him, but as soon as the door closes I curl myself up into a fetal position, cold sweat drenching the pillow.

                It’s started.

 

Everybody’s fourth trimester is different. Mostly it involves the symptoms from the first, but worse. Much, much worse.

                I raise my head from the basin, and wipe the stream of red tricking down the corners of my mouth, looking into the mirror. I look like death.

                It’s at times like these I’m glad Yuuri gave the Do-Not-Disturb order, even going so far as to hang a sign outside the door, complete with cartoon pengwing. But still, I’ve been in the bathroom all day. If I hadn’t at least asked for my meals, someone would have gotten suspicious.

                That was why, at mealtimes at least, I would ring the bedside bell and let the servants in with their trays. I told them I wasn’t feeling well while acting a lot stronger than I actually was, and then tried my best to eat something, anything. Most of it left my throat through my mouth before actually reaching my stomach. When the maids took away my half-eaten dinner, I heard them whisper that the prince wasn’t feeling well either, and maybe it was something in the water, or His Majesty’s repeated absence.

                I would have visited Shinri, if only I thought I could make the trip down the hall.

                Right now, the castle is near empty. Yuuri and Greta have left, Conrad following as their guard, and taking more soldiers than Yuuri would have liked with them. Gisela followed too, just in case. Gwendal returned to his territory, since it’s bordering the river and had been a target for the gorilla—sorry, guerilla attacks. The Sage corrected all of us, exasperatedly, when he got back.

                Oh, yeah, Murata went with them, too.

                So now, once again, Günter is the only one left in charge. When Yuuri isn’t around in person or even mentioned in a conversation, the Royal Instructor’s IQ goes up substantially, but now he’s probably too worried for Yuuri to do anything properly.

                He won’t come check on me. Now I just have to get out of this bathroom and into bed, then try to sleep. By tomorrow night Yuuri should be back—

                No matter how careful I am not to slip, there’s nothing I can do when the wave of weakness hits suddenly, and my knees buckle underneath me.

                I crumple heavily onto the cold marble floor, landing on my side.

                The moment my belly hits the ground, a sharp pain shoots up my spine, and I almost scream. It feels as though my body is being split in two. Then, as soon as it came, the pain disappears.

                The shock wipes my mind blank. I barely breathe, waiting for the tell-tale warmth flowing down from between my legs, be it a gush of waters or trickle of blood. But there’s nothing.

                Nothing.

                Taking a few deep breaths, I try to stand up, but my legs feel like jelly. So instead I dig my fingernails into the floorboards, and slowly drag myself towards the bed. Towards the bell.

                The pain is all gone.

                It’s dark now, and this room is far away from the center of the castle, because Yuuri wanted minimum distractions for me. Almost all of the guards in the castle are gone, or asleep, well assured that no matter how His Majesty overreacts, His Highness is perfectly capable of defending himself. No one will come even if I yell.

                There’s no pain.

                If I could just get to my feet… If I could just get to the bed, I might be able to sleep this off.

                There’s no blood.

                As long as there’s no blood, and my waters haven’t broken, it should be okay, right?

                There’s no movement.

                It feels as though the world has fallen asleep. As I crawl forward, inch by inch, the rest of the world stays still around me. My baby stays still inside me. She’s not moving.

                There’s no sound.

                There’s not a sound in the world. Not even my baby’s voice, which I just started to hear this morning.

                Nothing.

                I don’t know when I passed out, but when I wake up, I’m lying on the floor just a few feet away from the bed. There’s light outside the window, the gentle mid-morning sun. The summit would have started, maybe even ended, by now.

                But for me, over here, I know it’s already over. Over before it started.

                I stay on the floor, staring at the ceiling until someone calls from behind the door.

                “Your Highness? Highness, your breakfast is ready!”

                “Leave it,” I say, my voice sounding distant to my ears. “And prepare a horse for me.”

                “A horse? But, Your Highness—”

                “Just do it!”

                I move as though in a trance. While yesterday my legs wouldn’t support me no matter what I tried, after one night I can just about struggle to my feet, using a chair for support. I wobble a bit, then stabilize myself. My legs bring me to the closet, my arms reach for my uniform, then stop as my gaze lands on the golden harness Gurrier returned to me last week.

                My mind is barely working. All I can think, through the numbing pain that’s slowly, slowly starting to spread from my stomach, is that I need Yuuri.

                I need to find Yuuri.

 

 

 

*

Just down the hall, a tiny figure sits up suddenly in his bed. The curtains are drawn, so the room is still dark, but even so you could see that his eyes are red, as though he had cried himself to sleep.

                But he couldn’t sleep.

                Those eyes, the same shade of green as the bottom of a lake, now shine bright with determination. He jumps out of bed, slightly unsteady on his feet, and runs as fast as his little legs can take him to the door.

                But he’s still too late.

                That person already left without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title should also be starting to make sense now...?
> 
> I was reading the past ones and noticed a crucial tag is missing from this one... Guess not everything ends with a happy ending, huh?


	14. Meanwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off in the border between the countries, His Majesty is fighting his own battles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a few years I'm going to look back at this and chant, "This is not how politics work this is not how politics work..."

The people from Conanshia are late again.

              “I heard from Lord von Voltaire, but to really keep the representatives from so many countries waiting… S-Shibuya!? I know the summit isn’t off to a good start, but it’s nothing to cry about, is it!?”

                “Ehh?” Yuuri touches his face, and his fingers come back wet. “That’s strange, I…”

                He was fine just a second ago, if a bit bored. But in that one moment, an overwhelming sorrow seemed to pierce his heart from out of nowhere. No, this was more than sorrow—it was grief.

                It felt like somewhere out there, a piece of him had--

                “They’re here!”

                Lord Weller interrupts his thoughts, and the anxiety of conducting his first summit drives away that mysterious sense of grief for now. But still, Yuuri’s stride has been broken, and his rhythm is thrown off even more when the envoy turns out to be just one of Conanshia’s princes, and a few soldiers.

                Conanshia had insisted on all their princes being present.

 

On a small island in the river between Conanshia and Shin Makoku, the representatives from every member of the powerful Alliance have gathered to witness the treaty between the two countries, and the official entry of Conanshia into the Alliance.

                It was Conanshia who had suggested the island. There have been some half-hearted disputes over it in the past, but since it had nothing but a small stretch of beach and a hill covered in tangled forests, neither side was too enthusiastic to claim it for their own. It’s No-Man’s-Land, not quite human but not quite mazoku. Maryoku works, but is weaker.

                Yuuri isn’t too concerned about that. He’s here to negotiate peace, after all, and he had Shin Makoku’s strongest swordsman with him. That man could take on an army even without maryoku.

                A small mansion had been built on the beach just for this event. The dignitaries, one from each country, wait with Yuuri, Murata, Lord Conrart Weller and a handful of mazoku soldiers in the conference room for almost three hours before all the representatives from Conanshia arrive, fashionably late. The conference room that was spacey before slowly fills up with another squadron of Conanshia soldiers, standing protectively over the princes.

                Ah-ha, ha ha ha… Those people sure are being careful.

                Lady Flynn gives them a cold look. “It seems Your Majesty Yuuri’s worries, that sending too many people from your side would seem insincere, are unfounded. _They_ seem unperturbed by numbers.”

                “Now, now, we’re trying to make friends…” It’s not that Lord von Voltaire and Lady von Karbelnikoff hadn’t tried to come along—it’s just that Yuuri knew his people well enough to know that any one of them could make things a lot more complicated that they had to be. But maybe he should have asked Gisela to come along after all…

                The oldest and largest Conanshia prince takes the main seat opposite Yuuri at the long table, as though he hadn’t been the latest of them all. By the third hour, his brothers had given up trying to make excuses for him, and said simply that he never woke up before twelve.

                “All right, boy king, let’s get down to business.” The prince with bad sleeping habits blatantly ignores all the other leaders and representatives around him, some still standing and trying to make introductions. As Yuuri watches in horror, those outstretched hands begin to shake themselves.

                “I like the way you work, Your Highness Willem.” Murata breaks the silence, his smile mysterious. “Very well, let’s get down to business. This is the treaty we have drawn up, detailing the peaceful relationship between our countries from now on. And this one is to accept your country as an official member of the Alliance. It will require the signatures from all members, that’s why it’s written in the common language.”

               “But this one isn’t,” Prince Willem jabs a ruddy thumb at the first document. “What the hell is this squiggly language, anyway? Don’t you mazoku use the same language as we do?”

                Obviously, we’re talking in it. And when did Murata write that treaty agreement? Yuuri’s eyes widen with recognition. “That’s Japanese!”

                “Why, of course. Since this is His Majesty the Maou’s idea, isn’t it only proper that we use our king’s first language to write up such an important agreement?”

                “Wait a sec!”

                Before the humans can protest, Yuuri has already snatched the paper from Murata’s hands. His eyes move furiously from one line to the next. Murata wonders if he ever read that fast in his life.

                “‘Conanshia hereby agrees to lay down arms’… ‘join Shin Makoku’… ‘recognize the 27th Maou, His Majesty Shibuya Yuuri’… ‘as overall monarch’…”

                The representatives from Conanshia get to their feet immediately, but no one can reach the Sage faster than the Maou, standing right beside him.

                “What is the meaning of this, Murata!?”

                “I thought you would like it,” the Sage says, rather mildly for someone being raised by the collar. And by his best friend, too. “So I borrowed a leaf out of that Emperor’s book—”

                “Just because someone did something bad to us, doesn’t mean we have the right to do the same to someone else!”

                “Your Majesty, please calm down—”

                “Conrad! Were you in on this as well!?”

                Almost none of the people present have seen or heard the young Maou this angry before. The ground seems to tremble under his wrath, and they remember with a jolt that they’re currently in the middle of a river. Prince Ian falls back to his seat, suddenly pale.

                “Murata, how could you—”

                “Your Majesty.”

                “Your Majesty, please…”

                “Yuuri, you shouldn’t—”

                Everyone starts talking at once, some disapproving, others pleading. Only the Maou and his advisor remain frozen in silence, the king getting more and more agitated as the Sage stays stonily silent. None of the diplomats’ voices reach them, until one gets impatient, and changes her tone.

                “Papa, that’s enough!”

                There’s another collective jump in the room. Almost everyone had forgotten that the young woman with the red-brown hair representing Svelera, is in fact the Maou’s adopted daughter.

                “G-Greta…” Yuuri suddenly comes back to his senses, releasing his grip on Murata. The Sage, never known for his physical strength, stumbles backwards and is caught by Lord Weller before he hits the ground.

                “Papa, stop being silly.” Everyone’s heads turn to the General, who sounds a great deal steadier and more mature than her father. More like a leader. “If His Eminence went against your orders, you may deal with him as you see fit after the summit, back in Shin Makoku and according to Shin Makoku rules. Please don’t forget that you’re in an official audience now, don’t embarrass yourself in front of our friends and allies.”

               The words are harsh, and from one human leader to the Maou, they could very well start another war on their own. But Greta’s tone is not contemptuous, instead exasperated and slightly embarrassed, like a teenage girl pulling her dad away from her friends and whining, “Daaad~ You’re embarrassing me!”

                That’s why, instead of raising an uproar, most of the dignitaries just try to hide their sniggers. Those from Conanshia, meanwhile, don’t even bother to be subtle about it.

                Yuuri’s ears turn visibly red, and he seems to shrink where he stands. He’s a young enough father to remember how his own dad embarrassed him, and the thought of being that person now takes his mind off Murata’s betrayal for now. “Y-you’re right… Ah, Greta really is all grown-up now, you can even scold your Papa and I can’t say a thing back…”

                “Papa!”

                “Yes, yes, sorry…” Yuuri gives her his sincerest smile, then clears his throat. “Lord Weller, take… I mean, _escort_ the Sage back to Shin Makoku. For crimes against democracy I can’t let him attend this summit any further. Keep him in the von Karbelnikoff castle for now, and uh… stay with him, to make sure he doesn’t jump bail. We will see to his punishment later.”

                He tries to keep a straight face, when in fact he wants to turn around and ask his daughter, “Do I look cool? You used to say your Papa is so~ cool~ Do I look cool now? Do I?”

                Lord Conrart Weller and Murata look at each other. The double-black boy just shrugs and sighs, holding his wrists out to Conrad as though anticipating handcuffs. The second son gives his king another look of helpless exasperation, and deciding that Greta should be enough to take care of him, reluctantly leads his new prisoner away.

                How on earth did it get to this?

                The remaining humans in the room exchange confused looks, and their confusion only deepens when the young Maou strides up to the Conanshia princes and bows ninety-degrees down. It’s not a gesture they are familiar with, but they recognize the show of submission, and deep apology.

                “I am so sorry for Mura—the Sage’s actions. I promise, that’s not what I wanted! I-if you don’t believe me, I’ll write up a proper treaty for you right now—”

                His writing has improved over the past years, but in his haste it reverts to being a child’s chicken scrawl. Barely legible, and yet, somehow, touchingly sincere, as only children can be.

                Willem holds the paper at eye level for a good minute before bursting into hearty laughter. “Good, good! You know what, I like you too!”

                “E-eh? Thank you for the confession, but I already—”

                “We’ll do it!” Before any of his brothers can stop him, the oldest prince and the rightful heir to the kingdom of Conanshia adds his own illegible scrawl to the bottom of the treaty. “You got heart, and I like that. It’ll be good working with you!”

                “Ah, haha, please take care of me too…”

                “Hahaha, you say the strangest things! But I like that too!”

                “T-thank you, haha…”

                The boisterous and the awkward laughter continue for a few more minutes, so much so that Greta wordlessly picks up the second document and starts by signing on the column labeled Svelera. Before she can pass it on to Lady Flynn, though, there’s finally an explosion down by the Conanshia side of the table.

                “Idiot! How could you agree so easily!?”

                Prince Ian couldn’t stand it anymore. And with that signal, the soldiers behind him trigger a literal explosion.

                “Ian!? What are you—Those aren’t our soldiers!”

                You only notice now!? No one actually says anything, but those are the words all the dignitaries are yelling in their hearts, even as they try to escape from the soldiers charging… past them, and towards Yuuri.

                “Yuuri!” Greta had run towards him as soon as Ian burst out, and was caught in the blast. Her forehead is bleeding, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she hurtles straight for her father, only to be stopped by the burly soldiers. The mazoku soldiers try to help, but they’re hopelessly outnumbered.

                Yuuri had been knocked to the ground, but the explosion only grazed him. Those human soldiers couldn’t afford to hurt the humans here, after all, not if Murata’s hunch was right and they really are from Dai Shimaron.

                From the looks of the other Conanshia princes, Ian was the only one in on it.

                “Gre—” Yuuri coughs, trying to get the dust out of his lungs. “Leave Greta alone! It’s me you want, right!? Well, then, come get me!”

                This is when all those laps around the field come in handy. He leaps to his feet, over the table and out of the conference room, while making sure the soldiers follow him out of the mansion, and into the forest.

                The human soldiers wouldn’t hurt other humans if they could help it, not while their mazoku target is in front of them. If he stayed, they might just remember that Greta is a member of Shin Makoku, too. That’s why he must distract some, if not all, of them, and trust Lady Flynn to take care of his daughter.

                Or maybe the other way around. Greta isn’t the weak little girl she used to be anymore. No, what was he thinking? She was never weak.

                I probably shouldn’t be thinking so much while I’m running for my life in an unknown forest. Yuuri thanks his good sports genes that he hasn’t tripped over any roots so far, but he knows he can’t keep running forever. Once he spots a slightly larger clearing in the trees ahead, he stops, turns around, and draws his sword in one fluid movement.

                They should be deep enough into the forest by now, and far enough from Greta and the others.

                “Step up to the plate, I’ll send all of you out!”

                Still, when enough soldiers to form an entire baseball team surround him from all sides, Yuuri starts to wonder if this was a good idea.

                At a time like this, at the very least he would like to have a catcher with him…

                “Yuuri! Get away from him, you filthy human scum!”

                When his Prince Charming descends on a horse, though, Yuuri immediately regrets wishing for reinforcements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So shoot me, I don't know my baseball references XD


	15. Gone with the Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what, I can't do this alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tell myself not to count, but... 600 hits!! TTATT

“W-Wolf!? What the hell are you doing here!?”

                “Saving your sorry butt!” I yell at him, knocking over a few more soldiers with my horse. As expected of the best horse in the castle, it can go halfway across the country in a few hours, stand still on a boat and even find Yuuri in the forest it’s never seen before. Once we get back, I’m giving this horse a medal and all the hay it can eat.

                “No, wait, you shouldn’t—”

                “Behind you!”

                “—be here!” Yuuri swings his sword like a bat, knocking the soldier cleanly over the head and sending him into the bramble. A few more soldiers trip over themselves to avoid the blade as the momentum takes him into a spin, and he’s barely even out of breath when he stops spinning. “This isn’t safe, can’t you see the big pinch I’m in!?”

                I see that you’ve just taken down three men on your own, without breaking a sweat. Could it be that in the nine months he was gone, he was actually undergoing some special training under a waterfall on Earth?

                Counting the two I knocked out with the horse, there are only six soldiers left standing, but I know the ones Yuuri took down might not stay down for long. Well, aside from the one lying slumped on a tree, that one might never get up at all. But their comrade’s fall only incenses the remaining soldiers, and they advance on us menacingly.

                “Yuuri, get on!” I pull out my sword, and as soon as I feel his weight on the horse behind me, I swing my weapon, a trail of fire instantly engulfing the forest between us. It doesn’t feel right to set the trees on fire, but we don’t have a choice.

                As soon as we start moving, Yuuri wraps his arms around my slender waist, trembling. “Wolf, what—”

                “Not now.” My strength of will, that had carried me from the bedroom floor to this forest in less than half a day, is starting to crumble now that Yuuri’s with me again. Suddenly there’s nothing I want more than to curl up in his arms and cry. But I can’t. Yet. “We have to get somewhere safe first.”

                “There isn’t anywhere to hide on this island!”

                “Well, we can’t lead them back to Greta!” I shout back. Until I’m sure we’re safe, I won’t—No, I can’t get off this horse. As long as Yuuri’s by my side, my mind is already starting to relax, but I can’t let my body stop for even a second.

                “…Okay, I get it.” His embrace tightens slightly around my stomach, and my heart tightens in my chest. “Wolf, could you try to lead us towards the river?”

                I don’t trust myself to speak anymore, so I just nod stiffly and pull at the reins.

                Once we break past the woods and head towards the river, we’re wide in the open, sitting ducks for the enemy. Yuuri slips off the horse suddenly, slapping it on the behind so it rears up and takes me further ahead up the beach, leaving Yuuri alone to face the enemy.

                My yell is drowned out by the sound of the water dragon rising from the river behind him.

                This is a No-Man’s –Land, where maryoku is weak but still wieldable. Even I could summon some flames back then in the forest, but I should have remembered that the usual rules don’t apply to Yuuri. His majutsu doesn’t seem any less overwhelming than it was in Shin Makoku—in fact, it’s stronger than ever before.

                The dragon sweeps down and swallows up all the remaining soldiers in one gulp. Then with one snap of his fingers, Yuuri turns the huge pillar of water into an intricate ice carving.

                The soldiers are trapped, but not frozen inside. Their breath forming crystals in front of them, they shout and bang on their cage of ice, but there’s no way their bare fists can break the Maou’s majutsu. If Yuuri didn’t leave any ventilation holes for them, they would die in minutes, at the rate they’re using up the air to spout curses at us. But from the fact that I can hear their curses alone, I know that Yuuri is still soft as ever inside, even if he’s not the Yuuri I know.

                Is the Yuuri walking towards me the Yuuri I know?

                My body is still tense as he treads on the sand and pebbles back to me. I can tell who he is as soon as he speaks, but he remains quiet. That proud back, that confident stance, once I would have said for sure they weren’t his. But even though I was always watching him, even though I was always by his side, he still managed to grow stronger without me knowing. Is it really all in those nine months?

                When he finally reaches me, when he reaches out his hand to me, his eyes are the same warm black I know so well and love so deeply.

                Maybe he’s always been growing, and it just took me nine months without him to notice the difference.

                The way he is now… I can trust him not to break. I can finally relax.

                “Wolf!?”

                I fall off the horse, and into his arms.

               

“—Wolf! Wolf, please—”

                I must have blacked out for a second, because I wake up to his choked voice. Just when I was thinking he’s grown up, too… Ah, well. I can’t ask too much of him at a time like this.

                “Yuuri…”

                “Wolf! What happened, are you okay?”

                Am I okay? I want to smile bitterly, but I can’t even find the strength to do that. “Yuuri, h-help me w—Mmrgh!”

                The contraction hits so suddenly and so strongly I nearly bite my tongue. My body spasms in reflex, and though he doesn’t drop me, it’s a close thing. His face white as sheet, he tries to lower me to the ground, but I grip his shoulder and shake my head.

                “S-stand—Let me sta—Aaah!”

                This time I’m too late to bite back the scream of pain. The sound takes Yuuri by surprise, and he gets even paler, which I didn’t think was possible. And yet he manages to gently bring my feet down, until my entire body is basically leaning on him for support. But at least I’m standing.

                “Take… Take me over there.”

                Even a blind man could see I’m in no condition to walk, but Yuuri obeys silently. I squeeze my eyes shut as the next contraction rips through my body, digging my fingers into his shoulders until I know I draw blood. It must hurt like hell for him, but he stops trembling quite so hard. As though he’s relieved to share in the pain.

                “H-here, Wolf?”

                He’s taken me to a row of trees on the edge of the forest, bordering on the sandy riverbank. I would actually have preferred to be on the other side of the tree, but… there’s no more time.

                I let go of Yuuri and stumble towards a large tree, bracing myself against with the trunk. To show my back against those enemy humans like this, in such a compromising pose… I wait for the contraction to pass, and release a long breath. Well, it’s better than spreading my legs on the sand.

                “Y-Yuu—Aaaah!” Damn, that one came fast. I breathe quickly, trying to get the oxygen back into my lungs. “Yuu—Mmgh…!”

                “Wolf, what—”

                I can’t talk anymore. I brace my forehead against the rough tree bark, swallowing the screams but not quite stopping the moans deep in my throat. Weakly I struggle with my belt, and thankfully Yuuri catches the hint.

                I’m not sure if it’s on purpose or by instinct, but Yuuri blocks the soldiers’ view of me with his body as he strips me from waist down.

                I close my eyes as he swears louder than I ever heard him.

                “Wolf--! Her head, her head is almost out…” His voice is cut off as though strangled, and then he fumbles with the back of my shirt too, until he unclips the harness.

                The moment my stomach escapes its bonds, I can’t help a cry, of pain and relief. The baby’s head lurches a little further out.

                “ _What the hell were you thinking!?_ ”

                Yuuri throws the harness away and yells at me, so angry I thought maybe he would attack me with the river water too. It just occurred to me, does that water flow past Shin Makoku as well? Is that why he can control it so well? I can barely hear his words anymore.

                “Aaa-aaah!” I press my forehead even harder into the tree, bearing down on the thing stuck in my pelvis. There’s a slow trickle of liquid down my legs now, and I know it’s not the amniotic fluids. My waters broke halfway through the von Karbelnikoff territories, and dried out by the time I brought the horse onto this island. The baby’s head was already trying to get out hours ago, but as long as I was riding on horseback, there was nowhere for her to go.

                The moment I dismounted, she tried to come out all at once.

                Yuuri can tell, too, by how hard it is for the head to come out, and from the blood already drying on my clothes. The waters were lubrication, and without them, every little inch I push is like sandpaper against my insides. At least this way she won’t slip back in when I breathe, though.

                Way to look at the bright side.

                “Wolf, why would you…” Yuuri’s sobbing now, and I’m suddenly glad I can’t see his expression. But even so, even though he knows I’ve been suffocating our baby, he crouches down behind me and gets ready to catch her.

                It’s the least we can do for her. I brace myself one more time, and push with everything I have left.

                “Mmn—AARGH!”

                In the end she doesn’t slip out, she’s forced out by my push and Yuuri’s gentle coaxing. When her shoulders get caught, I have nothing left so Yuuri has to turn her carefully, and then pull her body out. It’s only when I’m sure he has her in his arms, cooing and trying to get her to cry, that I let my knees give way underneath me.

                I slump to the bottom of the tree, trying to sit in a way that’s the least uncomfortable. There’s one last stab of pain, for the afterbirth, but Yuuri and I barely notice it.

                He’s still trying to make her cry.

                “Yuuri…”

                “Wolf, she’s not crying.”

                “Yuuri—”

                “Why isn’t she crying? Wolf, how do we get her to—”

                “Yuuri!” I say sharply, taking all the air out of my lungs. For a moment after that I just sit there gasping, my head reeling from the lack of air. And he finally falls silent-- but his grip on her tightens.

                He knows what I’m going to say, but he doesn’t want to hear it.

                I take one more deep breath, and even so my voice comes out as barely a whisper.

                “Yuuri… She’s dead. She died this morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... was that too fast...? I wrote and reread it ages ago but it still feels off...
> 
> Also, I realized I couldn't tie up all the loose ends by the predicted ending --the plot just went on and forgot some things (people)-- so I ended up writing a crack 3-parter after this sob-fest... I wonder though, is this really a tearjerker? //talkingtomyself


	16. The Price to Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something ends, and something else begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying my best to write a BE... 'Sade' is in my name for a reason, lol.

I only felt my baby’s thoughts once, in that long night.

                It was after the discomfort faded, when I had been lying on the cold floor for at least an hour. My own body had settled down, ready for labor and delivery. But the process had been too long, too hard, or maybe it was a culmination of all the reckless things I did, or maybe she was never meant to be in the first place.

                One glimpse, that was all I could feel from her. She finally awakened, deep inside me, and the emotion I felt wasn’t pure fear, or sorrow, or pain. She was scared, yes, and sad, and hurt, but the main thing I felt was her fierce reluctance to leave.

                _I don’t want to die like this!_

                In that moment, I could almost hear her voice screaming into the night. And then she went silent, forever.

                That’s why I could bring myself to put on that harness again, to get onto that horse and ride so far out, completely disregarding the labor pains and both our safety.

                She’s already gone. There’s nothing I could do that could reach her, to hurt her.

                Yuuri’s arms are covered in blood, but he summons a stream of clean water from the river only to clean the blood from her body, gently, before wrapping her up in his coat. He handles her like he would a doll of glass that could break anytime, and not something that was already broken. Our daughter…

                The tears are flowing, freely and silently down his cheeks when he hands her to me. As for me, I’m all cried out.

                I don’t know how I expected her to feel in my arms, but she was warm. No, more than warm, she felt hot, like all newborns do. Most of that is my own body heat, I know, that will dissipate soon. And then… And then…

                I hold her tightly to my chest. As soon as I feel her body cooling down, I channel a bit of my maryoku to warm her up again. It’s pointless, I know, but for some reason I just can’t let her body go cold like that.

                Fire, like the sun, is a source of life… I can even lead myself into believing the fire is what keeps her cheeks so rosy, so far away from the gray pallor of death.

                Or is it just the sunset? The river is now a brilliant shade of orange, Yuuri’s favorite. He sits down beside us, quietly, and puts his arm around my shoulders.

                We don’t say anything. Even the soldiers in their cage of ice have gone quiet.

                “Your Majesty! Your Highness!”

                “Yuuri! Wolf!”

                Your—”

                I don’t know exactly how many people came looking for us, and how many found us. I don’t look up to count. But I know that all of them, every single one, fall silent when they see the three of us.

                The silence hangs in the air, tainted by the atmosphere of grief. As expected, the first one to react is Gisela, the experienced healer. She puts one hand on my baby’s chest, and shakes her head.

                “No…” Greta is a healer, too, but now she just falls to her knees, shock and fear and tears in her large eyes. “No! _No!_ ”

                Only a few people know what has happened. As soon as the explosion was heard, there was no way Conrad and Murata would have obeyed Yuuri’s previous orders. I bet they had all taken the first boat they could across the river, together with Gisela. Anissina was probably here too, most likely with the rest of the human dignitaries.

                We never told Murata, but it was hard to imagine he didn’t know. He takes off his glasses and looks away, rubbing his eyes. Conrad seems to have figured it out too, standing still as a statue. My poor Little Big Brother… He must be remembering that time with Shinri, too. But this time there won’t be a happy ending.

                Greta has started bawling, a little girl again.

                “…Damn!”

                Now there’s a voice I didn’t expect to hear. Gurrier was supposed to stay in the capital, and I thought for sure this time he would stay put. But there he is, staring at the spot of gold in the sand and, with a sudden ferociousness, stomps it into the ground. “Damn!”

                He’s blaming himself, I realize. But it’s not his fault. It’s not his fault…

                “Mama.”

               Gurrier must have brought him here. Maybe he made Gurrier bring him here. The last person I wanted to see here, the one who tried the hardest, did the most to make sure this child could be born safely—

                “Mama, can I hold her? Please?”

                Shinri’s voice sounds calm, but only I can hear the tiniest tremble underneath that composure. I nod mutely, and fight back the panic that rises in my chest the moment her warmth leaves my arms. It’s okay, it’s okay. Her brother won’t drop her. Unlike her useless Mama, her brother has really tried his hardest.

                He really loves her.

                “She’s cute…” he murmurs, bringing his face closer to hers. In his arms, she looks slightly bigger, not as tiny and fragile. The tiny little grown-up and the unmoving newborn, everyone watches them as though they’re the only people left in the world.

                “I bet she’ll be really pretty when she grows up.” He bends down, and kisses her on the lips.

                Almost everyone turns away then, their heads lowered and their shoulders shaking. Greta is still crying, but now there’s no more sound, her mouth open in a silent scream to the sky.

                I feel numb all over, body and soul. It’s almost dusk now, the light disappearing quickly from the world, and I can’t take my eyes off my two little babies, still standing there as though the world could vanish around them and they wouldn’t notice. In the fading light, Shinri seems to almost glow, a strange and barely noticeable aura of red and blue—

                Just when I thought it wasn’t possible, my blood violently unfreezes.

                “Shinri, what are you doing!?”

                He still hasn’t broken contact with her lips.

                “Wolf…?”

                “Yuuri, stop him!” I try to get up, but nearly fall flat on my face, so I pull at Yuuri’s sleeve instead, my voice desperate. “Take her away from him! _Hurry_!”

                “O-okay!”

                My fears are proven when Shinri doesn’t put up any resistance at all, letting Yuuri take the baby away easily. When their lips part, I swear I could see something pass between them, something like a little dragon of fire, or a phoenix feather. She takes it with her, and immediately his presence seems to dim. He lets his arms fall down by his sides, swaying a little unsteadily on his legs. There’s something wrong with him, I just know it! But my legs are still wobbly from the blood loss, and as I stumble towards him, our gazes meet. He sees the desperation in my eyes, and… he smiles.

                It’s a beautiful smile, mixing all the best parts from both Yuuri and me. His smile spreads to a grin, and I can see he’s genuinely happy, his face beaming with happiness and relief. So why…

                Why does it feel like he’s saying good-bye?

                “W-Wolf, look!”

                I can’t help it. I turn to look at Yuuri, who’s staring at the baby with something indescribable in his eyes. She’s buried in his arms, but I can just see it—I can just about see her tiny mouth squirm, and then she cries for the first time.

                Her voice is strong and willful, full of life and vigor. She even waves her tiny arms and legs, as though protesting something. Looking at her now, it’s hard to believe she hadn’t been breathing for almost an hour since she was born.

                She looks so alive, it’s almost impossible to think she was stillborn.

                Someone inevitably starts yelling that it’s a miracle, but I know it’s not. As the last light fades from the sky, I look to my son.

                He's still beaming, as he falls slowly backwards.

                I crawl on my hands and feet to reach him, but I still can’t catch him before he hits the ground. Everyone else around us still hasn’t reacted, still lost in the miracle of his sister’s revival. But it wasn’t a miracle, it was him.

                He was our miracle.

                And when I touch his face, it’s cold as ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo...? Did anyone see this coming? Anyone at all~~~~~?


	17. Shinri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I watched, and I waited, and finally, I acted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV change!!

I knew more about my baby sister than anyone else. I was aware of her, from the moment she was conceived, to the moment she died.

                It was all Mama’s fault. I never needed a baby sister. I even told him I didn’t want a baby sister, not if it would put him in danger. He promised it wouldn’t. He promised.

                I trusted him. That’s why I didn’t say anything when I first sensed the new life growing inside him. Besides, I shouldn’t know these things. I didn’t want Papa and Mama thinking I wasn’t normal, even though I’m obviously not. I liked being a normal little boy, with normal parents and a normal big sister who loved me. I didn’t want to change that.

                Maybe I was normal, in the sense I was afraid of the changes a new baby would bring. Would she be abnormal like me? Or maybe she’d be just the cute little girl Mama wanted, whom he could dress up and call a cute girl’s name.

                Would she look like Papa, or Mama? Would she look like me?

                Papa went away, and something happened so he couldn’t come back. I could sense the disturbance as well, but my powers can’t manipulate dimensions, at least not yet. I wasn’t worried, though, because Papa’s own papa is over there, and Uncle Shouri, and Godfather. Grandma Jennifer isn’t a pushover, either. Papa will be fine.

                Mama, on the other hand…

               He pretends not to have noticed that he’s pregnant—No, rather, he’s in denial. Already he had broken his promise, doing things that hurt him and the baby, for the country. Barely two months in, and the baby was already dying.

                I should let her die. She came at the wrong time, in the beginning of a war. Even if I saved her now, so many things could go wrong later. A year is a long time, and one wrong step, one accident, could kill them both. I should have let Mama miscarry, and they can try again later.

                They won’t try again. Mama made his choice. If he loses this baby, his guilt won’t let him try again. And if Papa knew… If Papa knew, he would keep wondering, for the rest of his life, whether this baby looked more like him, or Mama, or me.

                In the end, I couldn’t let her die.

                I’m not a normal three-year-old boy. I know too much, and knowing so much makes me unable to care about too much. I don’t care about the country. I don’t care about humans, or mazoku. With my powers, there’s nothing I can’t do. If I really wanted to, I could learn how to rip dimensions. I could take over all the worlds.

                But the worlds have a way of balancing things out. I have all this power, because I won’t use all this power. I don’t want world domination, or even the Shin Makoku throne. I just want to be a normal boy, with a normal-ish family: my parents, my big sister, my uncles and aunts, my adorable cousins.

                Somewhere along the way, that tiny thing inside Mama’s belly became a part of my family, too.

                I wanted to know what she looked like. I wanted to hear her voice, I wondered how she would call me. No matter what she looked like, if she ran behind me calling me ‘Onii-chan~’, I would surely think she’s the cutest little girl in the world.

                I wanted to hear her call me Onii-chan.

                But as soon as Mama entered the fourth trimester, I knew that my worst fears were coming true, after all.

                She won’t make it. She will die.

                In those last few months, I couldn’t bring myself to look at Mama. Despite everything he did, I knew Mama really, really wanted this baby. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

                But it won’t work.  Her soul can’t survive in that body. I could blame it on Mama for not taking good enough care of himself, but it wouldn’t have made a difference even if he had been on bed rest, accepting the best care for the whole year. As I once thought, way back in the beginning, she simply wasn’t meant to be.

                How could I possibly tell them? How could they possibly accept it?

                The answer is I couldn’t, and neither could they. That was why I spent so many days cooped up in my room, trying to think of something I could do, anything. I knew so much, and yet I didn’t know enough-- at least, I didn’t know how to save my own sister.

                She wasn’t meant to be. But then again, neither am I.

                The idea had lingered in the back of my mind, but it was illogical, impractical. It was risky. And even if I was willing to give my life for her, to her, how would my parents take losing me in place of her? Not any better, surely.

                I fought with myself throughout that dreadful night, trying to come up with something else, but there was nothing. The moment she died, the moment I felt her soul go quiet, I made up my mind.

 

“…That was one reckless thing you did there.”

                I open my eyes, frankly surprised I’m still alive.

                “Don’t look so shocked. I know you planned all along to give her only half of your power, the element of fire that was compatible with her soul. If you gave her both, she’d explode.”

                Of course I knew that. But…

                “You did something unnecessary, didn’t you?”  Godfather pushes his glasses up his nose, and sighs. “You gave her half, but you used more than half. You were going to use the rest of it, the calming powers of water, to make extra sure she would be revived without any side effects.”

                It wasn’t a question. There really is nothing Godfather doesn’t know.

                He knocks me over the head. “Don’t look all awed at me, it won’t make a difference. What you did was rash, and reckless, and basically suicidal. As your godfather, I have a responsibility to knock some sense into you.”

                That’s what he says, but he helps me sit up anyway.

                I rub my eyes, my body feeling heavy. “…How long have I been sleeping?”

                “A week. To be honest, you should still be sleeping, anything to recover a bit more power.” Godfather’s voice goes quiet. “You could have lived to twice the age of normal mazoku. Now you’ll be lucky to reach two hundred and fifty.”

                “Three hundred.”

                “Maybe, but that’s if you never use your maryoku again. You were born with two elements, Shinri. Now that you’re left with one, your body and soul are all out of balance. You’ll probably be sick half the time, and every time you even try to use maryoku could take decades off your life expectancy.”

                He peers at me through his glasses. “But if I know anything about you, or your parents, you’re not listening to a thing I say, are you?”

                “I’m listening!” But that doesn’t mean I won’t use my powers if I have to…

                “You’re just like your mother. Urk, but I can’t say Shibuya doesn’t…”

                That reminded me. “How’s Mama? Is he okay? Is he recovering well?”

                Godfather nudges his head towards my left. Mama is sleeping with his head on his hands by the edge of my bed.

                “Once he could walk, Lord von Bielefeld moved to this room to watch over you and your sister. He hasn’t slept a wink the past three days, and finally passed out an hour ago.”

                He still looks so pale…

                I reach out for his hair when a sudden noise makes him stir. Only then do I notice the cot in the corner of the room, and the little baby lying on her back, looking curiously out from between the bars. She waves a tiny fist at me, and gurgles something happily that I automatically translate to “Onii-chan~!”

                I have a sudden vision of her growing up to look exactly like Grandma Cheri. Ah, well, I’m a bit disappointed she doesn’t look more like me, but she’s even cuter than I imagined when she calls me like that.

                I wave back at her, a silly smile on my face. She immediately squeals in delight, the sound piercing to my ears after such a long nap. “Ow… But heh, you sure are lively…”

                “Idiot brother,” Godfather murmurs. “And here comes the idiot father.”

                “Wolf, Murata, I’m done with—Shinri! You’re awake!”

                “Shinri…? Shinri!”

                “H-hi, Mama… Papa…”

                “You idiot!”

                Godfather gets up with a smile, giving his seat beside my bed to Papa. All the yelling startles my baby sister, and she starts crying, which brings Greta-neechan into the room too. She nods at Godfather as he leaves us to our family time, respect and gratitude evident on her face.

                When she turns to me, though, the General is suddenly even scarier than the Sergeant.

                The three of them take turns hugging, kissing, and scolding my head off over the next hour. They take turns holding the baby, too, until Greta-neechan reads the longing on my face and finally hands her over to me.

                Her eyes are open now, Grandma Cheri’s eyes that Mama and I both inherited. Papa scowls a little, feeling left out. I try to kiss her forehead, struggling to hold her considerably heavier body with my considerably weaker arms, and instead she punches me in the face.

                “By the way, what’s her name?” I dodge her left foot, and her right foot clips me in the jaw. It hurts, but I’m still grinning from ear to ear. Ah, she’s so cute!

                “Don’t bully your big brother,” Mama scolds, but I dodge a lot better when he tries to take her away from me. “Hmph, you’re spoiling her already. It’s only natural that you name her, then.”

                “Really?”

                “I think she loves you the most too,” Papa says grudgingly. “We had to move her here because she won’t stop crying if she can’t see you.”

                “Hehe, is that so?” I can’t keep the smugness out of my voice. “In that case, I’ll call you—”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... I can't really write BEs... But not everyone gets happy endings all the time! So! I'm determined to make this one of those bitter-sweet-ish endings. It's not immediately clear the full price Shinri paid, and I'm not sure if I can fit it in anywhere else, so I'll put them here:
> 
> 1\. He WILL die young. No more deus ex machina, I have to be cold-hearted once or twice... But at least he'll never look old?  
> 2\. His soul will dissipate after he dies. It wasn't a normal soul to begin with, and now it's crumbling away even as he lives... not that he cares, though.  
> 3\. I don't know why I wanna put this here, but eh... Just in case I never mention it later, he stays single for the rest of his life //runs
> 
> I'm not sure how people will take to the 'last' chapter being all about an OC, but I fell in love with him a long time ago, so I couldn't help ittt~ Anyway you'll notice that a lot of things haven't been addressed, such as Ian and the reason/consequences of Murata pulling a Sara, so... I'll add them later in separate parts orz Because as usual the epilogue is a time skip that focuses on the (new) baby...
> 
> This must be the longest note I wrote for this story... Please tell me what you think of this 'ending', and if you like, stick around for a bit longer~


	18. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because he's my coolest, strongest, most overprotective silly big brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter had a title, it would probably be "Onii-chan!" 
> 
> ...Shouri would be so jealous XDDDD

“Onii-chan is the worst!”

                Her Highness Princess Kari finally says those hurtful words that almost all children will say at some point. Her brother totally saw it coming, and he’s been bracing himself for it for years, but when he actually hears it, he still looks like the world has crashed down around his ears.

                “K-Kari-chan… Kari-chan, I’m so sorry, don’t hate Onii-chan…”

                “If Onii-chan doesn’t want to play with me, I’ll go find Vinny instead!”

                “Ka—” Shinri stops suddenly. “You know what, go ahead. Go find Vinny.”

                Now it’s Kari’s turn to look shocked. Onii-chan never turned her down before, i-is it because of what she said? But she didn’t— No, she can’t take it back.

                Tears pool in her emerald eyes, and she raises her nose even higher, to prevent them from falling.

                But w-what if… What if Onii-chan starts to hate her too? Like everyone else? The Onii-chan who always loves her more than anyone else, if he hates her, then she—she—

                “I hate Onii-chan too--!”

                “Kari-chan~~!” Shinri reaches out for her retreating back, but he only takes one step forward before he stops himself. Ah, it hurts so much to see her cry, until he feels like he wants to cry too…

                But once she’s safely out of range, his eyes harden. The temperature of the air around him plummets, as he says softly,

                “You behind the trees. If you have the guts to infiltrate the castle, you’ll have the guts to face me.”

                It hurts to see her cry, but if anyone ever laid hands on her, he would destroy everything in his path to make them pay.

 

“O-Onii-chan… Onii-chan is an idiot…”

                The little girl hides in one of the many corners she found around the castle, sobbing quietly. Unbeknownst to her, her parents know every single one of those hidey-holes, and it doesn’t take long for her mother to find her.

                “Kari.”

                She jumps to her feet as soon as she hears his voice, rubbing her eyes furiously. When she turns around, her eyes are dry, though still red and puffy. Her pretty little mouth is set in a stubborn line, as though challenging Wolfram to ask her why she was crying. Even if he did, she wouldn’t admit it.

                Wolfram never understood why the girl was so hard-headed. She gets upset easily, and when she does, her eyes grow red no matter how she tries to stop them. She’s actually a crybaby, but she won’t let anyone see her cry, or admit she had been crying.

                That ridiculous pride of hers is mystifying.

                “Is it time for class, Mama? Let’s go.”

                “Class?” Wolfram almost forgot. “No, there’s no class today.”

                “No class?” Her eyes narrow suspiciously. “Why?”

                “Urk, because—” Your father says I’ve been too hard on you. Wolfram sighs, and crouches down beside her. “Kari, tell me honestly. Do you hate having class with Mama?”

                When she doesn’t answer, Wolfram’s heart sinks.

                “…Why? Is it because I give you too much homework? Or because I scold you when you get the questions wrong?” Though that’s how Gwendal raised me…

                “I can do that much homework!” she says indignantly. “And if I’m wrong, of course I should be scolded. But… But…” She grips her little fists tightly, biting down on her lip until it turns white. When she speaks, her voice is tiny.

                “...Mama isn’t so hard on Onii-chan… because… because Mama loves Onii-chan more…”

                Wolfram doesn’t know what to say, he really doesn’t. Come to think of it, he has been more lenient on Shinri than Kari, because…

                Mama doesn’t deny it. Hot tears gather in Kari’s eyes again, and she blinks them away angrily. “Everyone loves Onii-chan more! Everyone is always telling me to be nice to Onii-chan, to play with Onii-chan more, to never make Onii-chan angry… I-I hate Onii-chan!”

                “If your Onii-chan heard that, it would break his heart…”

                “I told him! I told him I hate him!” she shouts angrily—but her eyes are filled with fear and a deep sadness. “I told him I hate him, because he hates me…”

                When her face finally crumbles, Wolfram sighs again and gathers her into his arms.

                “Okay, what happened? You know your Onii-chan would never hate you, and you love your Onii-chan too.”

                “I don’t—”

                “Stop being so spoiled. It’s not cute.”

                She pouts, and buries her head into his shoulder. After all, she’s only twelve, and looks about six in human years. “I just—I finished my homework early, so I thought I could play with Onii-chan a bit before class… He was sleeping in the courtyard, I wanted to surprise him… But he just suddenly grabbed my hand, and—and—”

                Wolfram picks up her little wrist, his heart skipping a beat when he sees the bright red fingermarks. “He grabbed you here? Does it hurt?”

                She shakes her head without looking up, her voice muffled. “That’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

                That’s a lie, but she’ll never admit it. “Then why are you so angry at him?”

                “It’s not because he grabbed me, it’s—it’s the look in his eyes when he woke up…” Her voice falters. “…It was scary.”

                Wolfram doesn’t say anything. Suddenly scared her mother doesn’t believe her, Kari talks faster,

                “He looked so scary, he never looked at me like that before. It was like… like he hated me…”  The tears finally fall. “Onii-chan hates me too, like everyone else.”

                “…Silly girl.” Wolfram hugs her tightly, his voice exasperated but full of love. It’s a voice Kari doesn’t hear often—most of the time he’s yelling at her for something else she did wrong, or couldn’t do right—but no, now that she thinks about it, she knows that’s wrong. She hears that voice every night, singing or telling her stories before she sleeps.

                “I’m sorry I was so hard on you.” Wolfram apologizes, and Kari is unmistakably taken aback. Her look of shock and disbelief… Yeah, maybe he was too harsh on her. “It’s just that, I want to make sure you make the most of your life.”

                “But you let Onii-chan sleep all day.” Kari regrets those childish words as soon as they leave her mouth, he can see it on her face, but for some reason she won’t apologize for them. Seriously, why is this child so stubborn?

                “There’s a reason…”

                “I know, I know, it’s because Onii-chan’s body is weak. He’s always falling sick.” She can’t quite hide the child-like disdain on her face. “Uncle Josak says boys should be big and strong. Onii-chan is so weak, he’s not manly at all.”

                “Kari!” Wolfram’s tone turns sharp. “Don’t say that, your brother is not weak!”

                “He is— Well, his body is, at least.” She’s still refusing to take it back, but immediately after insulting him, she starts making excuses for her brother. “I mean, at least he never cries, unlike me.”

                Her mouth twists with disgust, but it’s aimed at herself. “He’s always so reassured, it’s like nothing gets to him. He’s smiling all the time, even when he’s sick, and he never cares what other people think… In that way, he’s stronger than anybody I know.”

                As expected, she actually idolizes her brother.

                Wolfram closes his eyes, and makes a decision.

                “That’s not true. I once saw him running away and crying, ‘Papa and Mama are both stupid~~!’ before, y’know.”

                “Eh!? No way!” She finally pulls away from his arms, looking at him with wide eyes. “What did you do? No way Onii-chan would act so childishly! Mama, don’t lie!”

                She believes her brother over her mother… Wolfram sighs for the umpteenth time that day.

                “Of course he acted childishly, he was only three.”

                “Three?” She does the quick math on her fingers. “I was just a baby then.”

                “You weren’t even born yet.”

                “Ohh… No wonder I don’t remember.” She looks slightly disappointed. “Onii-chan really was so different back then?”

                “Yep.” A pause. “In fact, he was very different then. He was very healthy, and his maryoku was really, really strong, maybe even stronger than your father.”

              “S-stronger than Papa?” She can’t even imagine it. “But how come Onii-chan isn’t allowed to use his maryoku now?”

                “…Kari, do you want to hear a story?”

 

“You never learn, do you?”

                Shinri grins sheepishly at his godfather, his head propped on a mountain of pillows. “Well, I couldn’t just let assassins get into the castle, so—”

                “We have guards, Your Highness. You just had to yell.” Murata sighs deeply. “That’s another year off your life expectancy.”

                “Come now, it can’t be that bad…”

                “Young man, you were carried into your room on a stretcher.” Those black eyes bore into him. “Spill it, what made you react like that? You just recovered, even you wouldn’t be that rash.”

                “…Because of them, I accidentally hurt Kari.”

                That explains a lot. “Is she okay?”

                “She’s stronger than that. That little bit of pain won’t faze her.” Even so, he stares at his hand as though he wants to chop it off. “…After that, she ran away while saying she hates me.”

                That… is a blow more fatal than any assassin’s blade to the boy. Murata puts a hand on his shoulder and is about to say ‘Condolences’ when the door flies open.

                “Onii—Onii-chan! Why are you sick _again!?_ ”

                The accusing way she says ‘again’ stabs him straight in the heart. Murata notes wistfully from his expression that her one line had a far greater impact than all the times Murata nagged him over the years.

                “S-sorry, I won’t do it again…”

                “You used your maryoku, didn’t you?” she says suddenly. “I can feel it. I can always feel it when you use your maryoku… because Mama said we’re connected.”

                “Eh?”

                “Mama said I died before I was born, and you gave me half of your life and soul.”

                “Ehhh!?” Shinri’s head whips around to find Wolfram loitering by the door. “Mama, how could you tell her that!? She’s only twelve!”

                “What do you mean, only twelve!?” Kari puts her hands on her hips, her pigtails flying. Shinri abruptly remembers this is the girl Aunt Anissina chose as the next Poison Lady when she was just five. “I’ll come of age in four years! Don’t look down on me, Onii-chan!”

                “Of course I’m not looking down on you, you’re my strongest, coolest, cutest little sister…”

                “I’m your _only_ little sister.” When she looks down at him with her nose like that, she really looks just like Aunt Anissina. “But because I’m your only little sister, I guess I should be the one to protect you for the rest of your life. After all, I owe you.”

                Mama, why did you have to tell her… “You don’t owe me anything, you’re my sister! Besides, you can’t protect me forever. One day you’ll get married, and…”

                “No!” Murata shouts, at the same time Wolfram yells, “Don’t!”

                But it’s too late. Kari puffs up even more at his words, her face reddening with incredulity, and she announces loudly,

                “Then I’ll never get married! I’ll stay with Onii-chan forever!”

                In that case, she would be even more of a bona fide Poison Lady* than Anissina herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S NOT INCEST IT'S NOT INCEST IT'S NOT INCEST.
> 
> That clear enough? And don't ask me how or why, but for some reason she came into my mind as a tsundere, twin-tail little sister lllorz My brother was like, whoa that's a different level of cliche... But the tsun comes from Wolf, I swear!
> 
> Oh, and her name Kari... I debated over it for a long time because over here kari is... curry. Aaaanyway, I had a lot of choices in my head for her kanji, but mainly it should be 火 (fire) for Ka and 璃 (glass) for Ri. (Alternatively there's 離 for Ri, meaning leave or separation for extra feels :3) And then I googled 'kari kanji' for fun and got things like 狩 (hunt) and 雁 (wild goose, a very popular name in Chinese) as well as 仮 (fake, temporary - cue Kingdom Hearts feels), but these aren't names per se, I think. Those unexpected results would have made me particularly happy with the name until 'kari kanji' was followed by 'recipe' in the suggested search... It means 'starch curry' here //cries
> 
> IT'S NOT CURRY IT'S NOT CURRY IT'S NOT CURRY.
> 
> (As if the long name talk isn't long enough, her mazoku name is Ravynne, taken from 'raven'. Shinri's second name Wilfred is similar to the first half of Wolfram's name, so naturally they would take the second part 'hramn' =raven for Kari's. Though they never use those names, so...)
> 
> Oh, and the * at the end (how nostalgic) is because of the pun, Doku Onna can also mean 'single/leftover lady' =3= *coughleftovercurrycough*
> 
> Another long note, and thanks for reading, kudo-ing, and especially for commenting! There will be a new three-part short starting tomorrow, please enjoy!


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